City of Saint Paul, Tribal Historic Preservation Offices Rename Dakota Sacred Sites

SAINT PAUL – Today, the City of Saint Paul adopted the recommendations of state Tribal Historic Preservation Officers to rename two culturally significant and sacred Dakota sites. This action reflects the city’s commitment to preserving Indigenous heritage and strengthening its long-standing partnership with Dakota leaders and communities. 

“We exist, first and foremost, because of our Dakota community, and we stand here today as a promise to honor that legacy and protect these ancestral homelands,” said Mayor Carter. “Our facilitation of these place name changes is more than a ceremonial renaming—it's an affirmation of our shared values and a promise to walk forward together with respect and commitment to restoring truth.” 

“These names were never lost to the Dakota people,” said Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan. “Indigenous place names have always been known. What we’re doing now is lifting up the language, the stories, and the sacred connections to this land so that everyone else can know them too.” 

Effective immediately, the city will name the cultural landscape encompassing Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary and Indian Mounds Regional Park to Imniżaska. Within this landscape, the two individual sites will now be designated as Waḳaƞ Ṭípi and Wic̣aḣapi, respectively. These changes follow the adoption of Resolution #25-07, passed earlier this month by the Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Commission and unanimously approved today by the Saint Paul City Council. 

"I am excited to support the renaming of Bruce Vento Sanctuary and the Indian Mounds,” said Saint Paul City Councilmember Cheniqua Johnson. “Renaming is an intentional step to not only acknowledge that Dakota people have been here but also an action that reshapes and preserves history and stories of this land. These relationships are important to the fabric of our city and our state, and I look forward to the continued work. Community has leaned in for years asking us to move beyond land acknowledgement, and this is a step towards that intent.” 

This renaming is the result of years of intentional relationship building between Saint Paul Parks and Recreation and the four Tribal Historic Preservation Offices of the Prairie Island Indian Community, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Lower Sioux Indian Community, and Upper Sioux Community. The renaming was Dakota-led, while the process was facilitated by Maggie Lorenz, Executive Director of Waḳaƞ Ṭípi Awaƞyaƞkapi. 

"I remember coming to Indian Mounds when I was little with my cousins, and I remember exploring the caves in Saint Paul and listening to my grandma, mom, and aunties tell me that these were our sacred places,” Lorenz said. “Being able to support the Tribes in this effort to not only rename but also redesignate these places from parks to a cultural landscape is a huge step toward bringing broader community respect and awareness to these culturally important places in Saint Paul.” 

The effort builds on the Indian Mounds Regional Park Master Plan, adopted in 2010. Tribal and community feedback of that plan led the Metropolitan Council to reallocate Legacy dollars to fund a comprehensive Cultural Landscape Study and Messaging Plan finalized in 2020. This foundational work has since guided the city's efforts to center Indigenous voices in Dakota land management decisions. 

“Restoring Dakota names helps to reweave the stories of the people who have protected and honored these lands for generations,” said Metropolitan Council Member W. Toni Carter. “It is important that our deep respect for Dakota heritage and history guides us in taking this monumental step to ensure that our region’s public spaces reflect the full richness of our shared history.”   

“Restoring the Dakota names of these sacred sites within the Saint Paul park system is a meaningful and necessary step in recognizing the deep and enduring connection between the Dakota people and this land,” added Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Director Andy Rodriguez. “We honor this moment while reaffirming our commitment to continued partnership with Tribal Nations and the Saint Paul American Indian community to ensure our city’s natural spaces reflect and respect Dakota heritage.” 

Parks’ Division of Design and Construction will implement the name change across all sites with physical signage, which will be installed in the coming months. The signage for Waḳaƞ Ṭípi will also include variations of the place name to honor the diversity of Dakota ways of knowing and speaking. The Waḳaƞ Ṭípi Center, which began Phase 1 of construction in May 2024, will also be complete with a grand opening set for fall 2025. 

ABOUT TRIBAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICES 

Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs) function similarly to a State Historic Preservation Office and are established through the National Parks Service’s Tribal Historical Preservation Program. The Offices elect an Officer who is tasked with the responsibility to preserve the Tribal Nation’s historic property and cultural traditions. THPOs often play an advisory role to federal, state, and local agencies to prioritize tribal interests and voice. 

###