Heavy snow and difficult travel expected again, heaviest snow in southern Minnesota

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the Department of Natural Resources has the authority to 

change the name of Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis to Bde Maka Ska

The 5-2 decision comes two years after the Department of Natural Resources approved the change to the name it has been called by indigenous residents since before the state was founded in 1858.

Writing for the majority, Justice David Lillehaug rejected the argument that only the Legislature had the power to make the name change official.

In her dissenting opinion, Chief Justice Lorie Gildea said, "This decision should upset and unsettle every Minnesotan and most especially those who live in a community with a lake."

She added that the court's decision has given too much power to the DNR to change the names of lakes for any or no reason.

In a statement, the DNR said it’s pleased with the court’s ruling. 

“The DNR’s job was to evaluate whether the [Hennepin County] Board followed procedural requirements and whether Bde Maka Ska met state naming conventions. We concluded “yes” on both counts and approved the renaming,” a spokesperson for the department said. “With today’s decision from the Minnesota Supreme Court, “under Minnesota law, the body of water that was Lake Calhoun is now Bde Maka Ska.”

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison also praised the court decision.

“In the 21st century, our values are different: Minnesotans no longer celebrate slavery and genocide,” said Ellison. “The people of Minneapolis and the DNR commissioner chose to remove Calhoun’s name from the lake to alleviate the pain of that history and celebrate instead the dignity of those who originally named the lake.”

Minnesota News

Crime, Law and Justice

Courts

Environmental News

Twin Cities News

NewsPartners

Brandt Williams

Author

The 5-2 decision comes two years after the Department of Natural Resources approved the change to the name it has been called by indigenous residents since before the state was founded in 1858.


Minneapolis Park and Recreation board started process to rename streets.

MN Supreme Court: DNR has power to change Lake Calhoun name to Bde Maka Ska

Go Deeper.

Like this?