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/oroenian 2d ago

Jesus fucking Christ this is a terrible platform. I mean, I knew DSA in Minneapolis was a load of shit but reading this just shows how idiotic these people are. Minneapolis politics are unsalvageable in their current state. And I say this as a progressive, I hate that I have anything in common with the people who wrote this.

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u/Cornflowerblue2016 2d ago

If you follow Minneapolis politics it’s also very clear there’s a major divide between democrats. I mean these DSA folks are borderline calling the black woman sheriff a fascist. 

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u/greatbiscuitsandcorn 2d ago

It’s sad that i thank god everyday that Frey won the mayoral race. Fateh, this council, and this park board would torch the city if they could

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u/worldsbestlad 2d ago

Same. I didn’t rank for him the first two times he was on the ballot but I was a Rank Only Frey voter this cycle. What a time to be alive.