Park Board takes step toward closing Minnehaha dog park
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Minnehaha dog park. Photo: Torey Van Oot/Axios
An effort to close the Minnehaha Off-Leash Dog Park is gaining traction with Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board commissioners.
Why it matters: Advocates for closing the dog park — along the Mississippi River near Fort Snelling — say the land is sacred to the Dakota people and contains artifacts and human remains.
Driving the news: Park Board Commissioner Jason Garcia has introduced a resolution to begin the process of decommissioning the dog park "at the earliest practicable date, but not later than December 31, 2026."
Catch up quick: The large dog park is highly popular with pet owners, but a movement to close it has picked up steam following a series of meetings between Native American advisors and the Park Board, according to a Star Tribune story from April.
- An archeological assessment completed last year found that the cultural importance of the land, known as Mni Owe Sni, is "significantly greater than originally anticipated," per the Star Tribune.
- The board has refused to release the assessment, citing the Minnesota Private Cemeteries Act, which protects human burials.
Juanita Corbine Espinosa, who is Dakota and Ojibwe, told the board on May 20 that while she loves dogs, their presence is inappropriate at a spiritual place where people have made prayers for their families.
Between the lines: Several other commissioners on the nine-member board also spoke favorably of the effort to close the dog park.
Commissioner Dan Engelhart said he previously took his two dogs to the park, "but not anymore — not once I learned about this."
- "We have to close the off-leash dog park, that's where I'm at," he said at the May 20 meeting.
Yes, but: As the process plays out, the Park Board is likely to hear from dog owners, and commissioners said they need help in communicating with the public on what is likely to be a contentious issue.
- "People are going to be in their feelings in less than healthy ways about this," Engelhart said. "I'm looking for help on, like, what my message can be, what our message can be."
What we're watching: Garcia told Axios that while the board expects to hear from park users at a Wednesday committee hearing, it "didn't get all that much public comment" following the Star Tribune article.
- Garcia's resolution directs staff to find additional places to add off-leash dog parks, though commissioners noted that finding one near the Mississippi River will be difficult considering how much of the land is sacred and because of water pollution concerns.