St. Paul renames sacred Dakota sites Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, Indian Mounds Regional Park
Effective immediately, the city will refer to the area of Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary and Indian Mounds Regional Park as Imniżaska, while the two sites will be individually referred to as Waḳaƞ Ṭípi and Wic̣aḣapi.
A press release from the city writes, "this action reflects the city's commitment to preserving indigenous heritage and strengthening its long-standing partnership with Dakota leaders and communities."
"We exist, first and foremost, because of our Dakota community, and we stand here today as a promise to honor that legacy and protect these ancestral homelands," said St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter. "Our facilitation of these place name changes is more than a ceremonial renaming—it's an affirmation of our shared values and a promise to walk forward together with respect and commitment to restoring truth."
"These names were never lost to the Dakota people," said Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan. "Indigenous place names have always been known. What we're doing now is lifting up the language, the stories, and the sacred connections to this land so that everyone else can know them too."
The city said in a press release that this renaming is "the result of years of intentional relationship building between St. Paul Parks and Recreation and the four Tribal Historic Preservation Offices of the Prairie Island Indian Community, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Lower Sioux Indian Community, and Upper Sioux Community.
Officials say renaming was Dakota-led, but the process was facilitated by the Executive Director of Waḳaƞ Ṭípi Awaƞyaƞkapi Maggie Lorenz.
"I remember coming to Indian Mounds when I was little with my cousins, and I remember exploring the caves in Saint Paul and listening to my grandma, mom, and aunties tell me that these were our sacred places," Lorenz said. "Being able to support the Tribes in this effort to not only rename but also redesignate these places from parks to a cultural landscape is a huge step toward bringing broader community respect and awareness to these culturally important places in Saint Paul."
Parks' Division of Design and Construction say it will implement the name change across all sites with physical signage and plan to install that signage within the coming months.
Officials also say the signage for Waḳaƞ Ṭípi will include variations of the place name to honor the diversity of Dakota ways of knowing and speaking.
"Restoring the Dakota names of these sacred sites within the Saint Paul park system is a meaningful and necessary step in recognizing the deep and enduring connection between the Dakota people and this land," added Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Director Andy Rodriguez. "We honor this moment while reaffirming our commitment to continued partnership with Tribal Nations and the Saint Paul American Indian community to ensure our city's natural spaces reflect and respect Dakota heritage."
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