Republican State Legislators in Minnesota object to the use

[MineralMan]

of Native American names on landmarks in the state. In a couple of recent situations, such landmarks were renamed with their original Native American names to reflect that heritage and to replace the names of people who had oppressed them in the historical past. Republicans, for some reason, do not wish that to take place. I guess they think the Native Americans should "go back to where they came from" or something.

[dawg]

1. Where did the name "Minnesota" come from, I wonder?

[MineralMan]

3. Indeed. The state is full of native american words used as

place names. Nobody has objected to those. It's only when the names get changed to a Native American word to replace the name of some white historical figure who treated the local indigenous people badly that the Republicans object. Odd, huh?

[DFW]

15. I always wondered about that, as it seemed like a chicken-egg mystery

Minnesota is known for having attracted Scandinavian immigrants in the 19th century. The name is sort of a Scandinavian mishmosh of "Memory Sweet." So, I always wondered if it was the name that attracted the Scandinavians, or a result of their own language seeping into the accepted name of the place.

[struggle4progress]

16. "Isn't Minnesota named after a famous English aristocratic family?"

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. It always throws me off when that kind of thing happens,

and I'll admit that I almost invariably don't like it at first. But I also invariably realize that it's the right thing to do.

I just wonder if there's ever much of a dispute over exactly what the original Native American name was.

[MineralMan]

4. No disputes. The local Native Americans have preserved their

heritage and traditions. They were not exterminated like the Chumash peoples were in California.

[rurallib]

5. Heard some discussion on that on KTNF yesterday afternoon

Had no idea that Lake Calhoun was named after John C. Calhoun. There is one name that deserves no honor.

[MineralMan]

6. Yes, that's one of them. The name had been changed, but there was a

lawsuit.

The other is Fort Snelling. A sign went up, adding "at Bdote" the original Native American name for the place. Some folks got all incensed, despite there having been a massacre and mass execution of Native Americans at that very site by US Soldiers.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

7. Ft. Snelling is an actual army fort

named after some guy Snelling, right? Changing that name completely strikes me as silly. Although the surrounding area could all go back to the original name, with the fort on that land.

[MineralMan]

8. And that's what they did. The signs now read:

Fort Snelling
at Bdote.

Bdote was the orginal name of the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers, above which Ft. Snelling is located.

Snelling wasn't a very nice man, actually, if you were a Native American in those days.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

9. Thank you.

I did live briefly in Minneapolis and found the programs at Ft. Snelling to be wonderful. I hope they still have them.

[MineralMan]

10. Yes, Ft. Snelling has a number of historical programs,

as well as the National Cemetery. My wife's father is buried there, so we go out to visit his grave from time to time.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

12. Oh, good.

The last time I was there was probably 15 or more years ago, and it's hard to say if I'll ever get back there again.

I did love living in Minneapolis.

[TygrBright]

11. aw, c'mon... they don't mind "Indian sounding" names...

...as long as they come from Longfellow.

You know... Like "Hiawatha!" That's real Indian stuff there! And "Nokomis!"

You can't accuse them of being racist against Native Americans, when they just love the very sound of "Manito of Wealth and Wampum"!

tsk-tsk. Shame on you.

piously,
Bright

[DFW]

13. On this issue, my sentiments are with the guy on the right.

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[MineralMan]

14. +100