Hennepin County Officials OK Lake Calhoun Name Change

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ Hennepin County commissioners have approved changing the name of Lake Calhoun, Minneapolis' largest lake, but more regulatory steps remain.

The board voted 4-3 Tuesday to change the name of the lake to Bde Maka Ska, the original Dakota name meaning White Earth Lake.

Reports say the change still must be approved by state and federal agencies.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board in May unanimously approved the name change after nearly two years of debate.

Federal surveyors in the early 1800s decided to name the lake after Secretary of War John Calhoun, who had sent them to the area to prepare for the construction of Fort Snelling. Calhoun, who became vice president and a U.S. senator from South Carolina, was an outspoken supporter of slavery.