Hearings Begin on Whether to Rename Historic Fort Snelling

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ The Minnesota Historical Society is holding public hearings across the state on whether it should rename Historic Fort Snelling.

The 23-acre site sits at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. It's known in Dakota as Bdote, meaning the place where two waters meet.

In 2017, the society installed signs reading ``Historic Fort Snelling at Bdote.'' Some lawmakers criticized that move as rewriting history.

The fort itself, which dates from the 1820s, will continue to be called Fort Snelling.
Monday's hearing is in Rochester. Others will follow in Duluth, Brooklyn Park, St. Cloud and St. Paul, concluding Oct. 17 in Redwood Falls.

Minnesota Public Radio reports the society's board will make a renaming recommendation in early 2020. The recommendation will go to the Legislature, which has the final say.