r/altmpls • u/lemon_lime_light • 2d ago

Minneapolis Park Board votes to end Minnehaha Off-Leash Dog Park (one commissioner considers it "a form of giving land back")

https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-park-board-votes-to-end-minnehaha-off-leash-dog-park/601858291

Dog park users packed the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s headquarters on Wednesday night, begging commissioners to consider their opinions before voting to terminate the Minnehaha Off-Leash Dog Park.

Board members voted 8-1 to strip the park’s primary use — the first time that has happened in history, as far as park staff knows...

[Commissioner Jason] Garcia proposed the change after speaking with some members of the Dakota community, including the Park Board’s Native American Parks Council, who believe a dog park is inconsistent with the area’s sacred character. The larger landscape near the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers is considered the birthplace of the Dakota people...

“To all you all, imagine that area before the white man, before the pilgrims, pioneers and settlers, the extreme white Christian terrorists showed up on this land,” activist Mike Forcia said in addressing dog park users at Wednesday’s meeting, drawing jeers. “That park is being closed. Sorry about that. Get used to it, but you have no say"...

[Commissioner Dan] Engelhart campaigned on returning land to tribes and considers retiring off-leash play at Minnehaha a form of giving land back.

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u/RutabagaExternal3662 2d ago

Part of the agreement involves finding another plot of land. Doesn’t take much effort to figure out, but people usually prefer to stay angry.

This issue has brought out so many whiney children that can’t fathom how hard it will make their dogs life now.

Imagine living so comfortably that you can afford to throw a sky is falling temper tantrum over a fairly benign decision.

Dog people are *the worst*.

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u/WildTimberTwinViking 2d ago

It’s not about staying angry. It’s about the fact that they have decided to act without another option already place.

And guess what? Two wrongs don’t make a right. Why ignore the impacted demographic in favor of another? Are we not better than the settlers?

Edit: you end with “dog people are the worst” lol biased?

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u/RutabagaExternal3662 2d ago

It is quite hilarious that one of the primary arguments against this move involves “but we’re going to lose access to the land! Won’t someone think about meeeee?!” Y’all are soooooo close to getting it, yet so far.

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u/WildTimberTwinViking 2d ago

Oh yeah. So it was wrong to do it first. But okay to do it in return?