| Pike Island | |
|---|---|
| Wita Tanka | |
,_Fort_Snelling_State_Park,_Minnesota_(42343541862).jpg) Pike Island, 2018 | |
 | |
| Location | Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States |
| Coordinates | 44°53′32″N 93°09′55″W / 44.89222°N 93.16528°W |
| Area | 210 acres (85 ha)[1] |
| Elevation | 699 ft (213 m)[2] |
| Designation | Fort Snelling State Park |
| Named for | Zebulon Pike |
| Governing body | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | Fort Snelling State Park |
Pike Island (Dakota: Wita Tanka) is an island at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers in the southwestern-most part of Saint Paul in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The island is managed as part of Fort Snelling State Park and is within the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. For centuries, Dakota people have considered the area of the island to be a sacred place known as Bdóte, where they moved with the seasons to find food and resources.[3] The island is named after Zebulon Pike, who negotiated the United States government purchase of the area from Mdewakanton Sioux in 1805.
- ^ Carmichael, Suzanne (1995-06-18). "Twin Cities' Islands of the Mississippi (Published 1995)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-05.
- ^ "Fort Snelling State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 1993-06-01. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
- ^ Phillips, Katrina (2020-08-25). "Where Two Waters Come Together: The Confluence of Black and Indigenous History at Bdote". National Museum of American History. Retrieved 2020-11-30.