Bde Maka Ska
| Bde Maka Ska | ||
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| Two anglers on Lake Calhoun; in the background the skyline of Minneapolis | ||
| Geographical location | Minneapolis , Minnesota , USA | |
| Tributaries | from the Lake of the Isles | |
| Drain | → Lake Harriet → Minnehaha Creek → Mississippi River | |
| Data | ||
| Coordinates | 44 ° 56 '31 " N , 93 ° 18' 44" W | |
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| Altitude above sea level | 260 m | |
| surface | 1.71 km² | |
| Maximum depth | 25 m | |
The Bde Maka Ska ( Dakota for lake of the white earth ), until 2018 Lake Calhoun , is a lake in Minneapolis and part of the Chain of Lakes. It has an area of 171 hectares and a maximum water depth of 25 meters.
The region of today's Twin Cities Minneapolis / St. Paul was inhabited by the Dakota when they came into contact with the white settlers. They called the lake Bde Maka Ska , which means "lake of the white earth", although the name probably came from the Ioway who lived in the region until the 16th and 17th centuries. Populated in the 19th century. The first white settlers called it "Medoza" or "Loon Lake" ( Loons Lake in Dakota or English). In memory of the merits of John C. Calhoun , who was significantly involved in the construction of Fort Snelling , the lake was called Lake Calhoun on official maps since 1839 at the latest.
After Calhoun was a furious advocate of slavery, the naming was criticized since the middle of the 20th century in the course of the civil rights movement . It wasn't until 2011 that the Minneapolis City Government Park and Recreation Board did an official investigation and came to the conclusion that they were not allowed to rename for legal reasons. In 2015, the question was raised to the level of the state of Minnesota and after lengthy discussions the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources renamed the lake to Bde Maka Ska in January 2018 . The federal government's Geographic Names Information System followed in June 2018 and in May 2020 the Supreme Court of Minnesota dismissed a lawsuit against the renaming.
The Bde Maka Ska is a popular local recreation area with three public beaches. It is the largest lake in the Chain of Lakes and offers very good conditions for numerous leisure activities - such as sailing, windsurfing, jogging, cycling, swimming or fishing. The chain of lakes is very popular due to its location in Minneapolis.