Saint Paul council approves Dakota-led renaming of Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary and Indian Mounds Regional Park

The Saint Paul City Council voted 7-0 to approve a resolution to rename Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary and Indian Mounds Regional Park with Dakota names and to adopt a cultural landscape designation.

Parks and Recreation project manager Ellen Stewart told the council the naming process was “thoughtful and intentional” and described it as Dakota led, with consultation by Tribal Historic Preservation Officers from the four federally recognized Dakota tribes and facilitation by Wakan Tipi Oanyangape. Stewart said the change recognizes sacred burial mounds and other cultural resources in the Dayton’s Bluff area.

The renaming measure, introduced as Resolution 25-788, designates a larger cultural landscape name and separate site names for each parcel. Stewart said Imnisi o scott (spoken in the staff presentation as a Dakota term meaning “white cliffs”) would be the cultural landscape name; Wichahapi (identified in the report as the Dakota word for “cemetery”) would apply to the park area currently referred to as Indian Mounds Regional Park; and Wakan Tipi (“dwelling place of the sacred”), a long-recorded Dakota name for the cave and sanctuary area within the nature preserve, would be applied to the 27-acre nature sanctuary currently called Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary.

Council Member Johnson, who moved the resolution, said the effort “isn't just a name change. It's truly acknowledging what we’ve known for years and what this actually is,” and described the sites as sacred spaces and cemeteries deserving designation and protections. Council Vice President Kim and other members praised the Dakota-led consultation and thanked tribal representatives and local advocates who participated in the multi-year process.

Stewart and other staff described the history behind the decision: a 2010 master plan, community engagement that led to a 2016 shift away from recreational amenities (for example, a previously proposed splash pad), a cultural landscape study adopted in 2020, and continued outreach. Stewart said historic records once showed about 50 burial mounds in the 1800s and that six remain today. Staff noted that Metropolitan Council (Met Council) legacy funding was reallocated to support a cultural landscape study and messaging plan and that future Met Council approvals will be needed for long-range plan actions tied to the cultural landscape designation.

Council discussion noted that tribal representatives, preservation officers, and the Parks and Recreation Commission had recommended the names and that additional steps would follow including updates to signage, website text, and a Metropolitan Council long-range plan entry when funds are available. Stewart showed draft signage and explained the intent to display the cultural landscape name alongside the site-specific Dakota names to help visitors understand the relationship between the places.

The council’s unanimous vote adopted the names and the cultural landscape designation as described in Resolution 25-788. Council members said they expect continued work with tribal representatives on implementation steps and thanked community members and tribal delegates for their participation.

Staff identified next steps including designing and installing signage, updating city materials, seeking any required Met Council approvals tied to long-range planning, and continuing tribal-led interpretation and outreach.

The council took the vote after a staff presentation and public remarks; the motion to approve was made by Council Member Johnson and carried 7-0.