Lake Calhoun Name Change Approved By Hennepin County

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — After 197 years, the name of a popular Minneapolis lake could be removed. The Hennepin County board approved a name change of Lake Calhoun to Bde Maka Ska this week.

In order to become official, the name change now needs approval from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

Lake Calhoun was named after John C. Calhoun, the South Carolina senator who became vice president in 1825. Supporters of the change want to distance the lake from Calhoun, a documented supporter of slavery.

In 1837, Calhoun gave a speech on "the positive good" of slavery. He also authored the Indian Removal Act.

Residents in Hennepin County brought three different petitions to rename the lake to Bde Maka Ska, Lake Maka Ska and Lake Wellstone. The board voted four to three to change the name to Bde Maka Ska, the lake's original Dakota name which means "White Earth Lake."

The board's action follows a unanimous vote by the Minneapolis Park Board in May to rename the landmark.

The names of Calhoun Parkway, East Calhoun Parkway and West Calhoun Parkway will not change in the interest of public safety, according to city officials.

Bde Maka Ska Facts

• Pronounced "b-day ma-kha skah" according to the Dakota Language Society
• Translates to "White Earth Lake" in Dakota

Photo credit: AP Photo/Jim Mone