You probably have heard about efforts to restore the original Dakota name “Mde Maka Ska” or White Earth Lake to what settlers renamed Lake Calhoun. Less well known is the work going on behind the scenes to not only to change the lake’s name but to change its culture.
Facilitated by LeMoine LaPointe (Lakota), a group of Native American and non-Native residents have been holding community conversations about how to reimagine the lake, tell its historic stories, and bring out the best in people. (First Universalist Church, 3400 Dupont Ave. S., has hosted these conversations.)
The group’s first major initiative is the Four Directions Water Walk, a walk for the health, vitality, and spirit of Mni Wakan (Sacred Water). The walk will be in honor of, and a prayer for, the sustainability and increasing recovery of clean, fresh water.
The walk will start at Thomas Beach, 3700 Thomas Ave. S., at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, May 27. Please join the walk, bring friends, and spread the word! Here is a Four Directions Water Walk flyer to help promote the event.
Participants will walk clockwise around the lake, arriving back at Thomas Beach in time for the opening ceremony of the eighth annual Mde Maka Ska Canoe Nations Gathering. According to organizers:
Your participation will emit a resounding message to the world regarding our resurgent relationship with the sacredness of water now and for generations to come.
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