Court: Minnesota agency can change name of Lake Calhoun

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A divided Minnesota Supreme Court says the state Department of Natural Resources has the authority to change the name of a popular Minneapolis lake back to its original Dakota name.

The state Court of Appeals ruled in April that the agency overstepped its authority in January 2018 when it changed the name to Bde Maka Ska. It said authority to change the name rested with the Legislature under statutes governing lake and other place names.

Hennepin County sought the change because Lake Calhoun was named for pro-slavery former Vice President John Calhoun. But some nearby property owners challenged it. The state’s high court issued a ruling Wednesday.