LITTLE BROTHER portrays children from an extremely wealthy Native American community, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community southwest of Minneapolis. Their name means “dwellers at the spirit waters.”
Their clothing, decorated with Native American motifs, has an added “sparkle” (gemstones), an opulence reflecting their great wealth. Though I’ve dressed these children in contemporary attire, traditional tribal dress is still worn for ceremonial events.

Tribal members are direct linear descendants of the Mdewakanton Dakota people who, for centuries, resided in villages near the banks of the lower Minnesota River. In the 1800s, the Federal Government seized their land resulting in the US-Dakota War of 1862. In 1886, reservations were established for the Dakota people where they endured hardship and poverty for almost one hundred years.

In 1969, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community finally gained recognition as a tribe. This allowed them to develop their own government and economic system. In 1982, the tribe opened the Little Six Casino and, in 1992, the Mystic Lake Casino. Investments were also made in other businesses. Today, their community is worth 2.7 billion dollars. With only 480 members, they are by far the wealthiest tribe per capita in the United States.