Petition Signing Next Step In Changing Lake Calhoun's Name

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The next step in restoring Lake Calhoun's Dakota name, Bde Maka Ska, is the signing of a petition.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board released the petition Thursday, noting that the signatures of at least 15 Hennepin County voters must be made on paper and returned by Aug. 7.

After that, the signed petitions will be brought to the Hennepin County Auditor for review.

The petition calls for the Calhoun name to be dropped from the lake – "a gem within the Minneapolis parks system" -- and replaced.

The change would both highlight the lake's connection to Native Americans and cast off the legacy of John C. Calhoun, a statesman who owned slaves and wrote legislation to remove Native Americans from their lands.

The petition process is one of several steps to get multiple levels of government to approve the name change.

In May, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board approved the name change, which is part of the group's 25-year master plan for the city's lake system.

To download the petition, click here. Sign copies should be sent to:

Attn: Madeline Hudek
2117 West River Road
Minneapolis, MN 55411