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Slowly, Lake Calhoun Is Losing Its Weird Tribute To Mr. Slavery
http://www.citypages.com/news/slowly-lake-calhoun-is-losing-its-weird-tribute-to-mr-slavery-7632214Congratulations, petition signers and emailers angry that Minneapolis’ most famous lake is named after a dead racist. You won!
Kinda.
Amid summerlong calls to rename Lake Calhoun and adopt its original Dakota name, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board got behind a compromise move on Wednesday. A day after an overnight spree where prankster activists covered lake signs with the Dakota name, the board approved legitimate dual-name signs. The signs — replacing the same ones the activists covered — will instead list both Lake Calhoun and Bde Maka Ska, which translates as Lake White Earth.
“It was a very small and somewhat disappointing first step,” says Brad Bourn, a Park Board commissioner in favor of a name change.
While the Park Board does not have authority to officially change the name, Bourn says the powers that be, namely the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources boss, look toward the board for guidance. Bourn approves of the new signage, which will be changed at beaches and most major intersections around the parkway, he says. However, he hoped for an outright denouncement of John C. Calhoun, a South Carolina senator who was way into slavery, as the lake’s namesake.
Kinda.
Amid summerlong calls to rename Lake Calhoun and adopt its original Dakota name, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board got behind a compromise move on Wednesday. A day after an overnight spree where prankster activists covered lake signs with the Dakota name, the board approved legitimate dual-name signs. The signs — replacing the same ones the activists covered — will instead list both Lake Calhoun and Bde Maka Ska, which translates as Lake White Earth.
“It was a very small and somewhat disappointing first step,” says Brad Bourn, a Park Board commissioner in favor of a name change.
While the Park Board does not have authority to officially change the name, Bourn says the powers that be, namely the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources boss, look toward the board for guidance. Bourn approves of the new signage, which will be changed at beaches and most major intersections around the parkway, he says. However, he hoped for an outright denouncement of John C. Calhoun, a South Carolina senator who was way into slavery, as the lake’s namesake.
The rest at link.
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