MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota officials have approved changing the name of a lake that honored slavery supporter and former Vice President John Calhoun.
Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis will be renamed Bde Maka Ska (beh-DAY' mah-KAH' skah). That's the name American Indians used before federal surveyors renamed the lake in the early 1800s. The Dakota name means White Earth Lake.
The city's park board and Hennepin County officials supported the change after about two years of public input.
The Department of Natural Resources announced approval for the change Thursday, despite opposition from some residents who called it an unnecessary rewrite of history. DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr says he's confident the county carefully considered community values and opinion.
It's up to the U.S. Board of Geographic Names to approve the change for federal use.
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