ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Supreme Court will decide whether the state Department of Natural Resources has the authority to change the name of Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis to its original Dakota name, Bde Maka Ska (buh-DAY' muh-KAHS' ka).
RELATED LINK: Official: Lake Calhoun to be renamed Bde Maka Ska
RELATED LINK: The Bde Maka Ska name change: What's the cost?
The state Court of Appeals ruled in April that the agency overstepped its authority in January 2018 when it changed the name. It said authority to change the name rested with the Legislature under statutes governing lake and other place names.
The DNR disagrees with that interpretation of the statutes and says it can change the name. The Supreme Court said Wednesday it will review the case.
Hennepin County asked the DNR for the change because Lake Calhoun was named for pro-slavery former Vice President John Calhoun. But some nearby property owners challenged it.
A copy of the DNR’s order and details on how Minnesota geographic features are named are available here.
