Bde Maka Ska-Isles
The Bde Maka Ska-Isles neighborhood lies southwest of downtown Minneapolis. Of all the neighborhoods in Minneapolis, lovers of the outdoors will appreciate this one the most. Bde Maka Ska-Isles is home to the beautiful Chain of Lakes and Theodore Wirth Park, where you won’t even feel like you’re in an urban city. Within Bde Maka Ska-Isles are the Bryn Mawr and Lowry Hill/Kenwood neighborhoods. Not a huge outdoors person? Don’t worry, you’ll find shopping, yummy restaurants and art here, too.
Top Picks
Cycle, golf, sled, cross-country ski and more at Theodore Wirth Regional Park, found in Bryn Mawr. Then, grab a pint at local Utepils Brewing. Head to Lowry Hill/Kenwood for a visit to the Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden to see the famous Spoonbridge and Cherry. And don’t skip a walk, bike ride or paddle around the Chain of Lakes, where you’ll see Native public art installations around Bde Maka Ska. Take a deeper dive into the Bryn Mawr and Lowry Hill and Kenwood neighborhoods for more to do.
History of Bde Maka Ska
Before Europeans settled in the area, the shores of Bde Maka Ska were home to a Dakota agricultural community called Heyate Otunwe, “Village to the Side.” Dakota leader Mahpiya Wicasta (Cloud Man) had led a group of Dakota men there to find new land for his people to hunt. Here, the Dakota language was first recorded in writing by missionaries for a variety of reasons, like to record a dying race of people and to translate the Bible into Dakota. Later, a U.S. Army survey party “discovered” the lake and renamed it Lake Calhoun, after Secretary of War John C. Calhoun. In 1863, the Dakota people living there were removed by exile policies.
Nearly 200 years later, Minneapolis locals began to question the ethics of naming the lake after Calhoun, given his reputation as an ardent defender of slavery and the forcible removal of Native Americans from their land. Cloud Man’s great-great grandchildren lead the charge to restore the name to Bde Maka Ska, which became official in 2017 after years of hard work. The Dakota language doesn’t name things or natural landmarks after people. “Bde” means “lake,” “Maka” means “earth,” and “Ska” means “white.” Dakota language word order is opposite of that in English, so Bde Maka Ska translates to “White Earth Lake.”
Getting to the Bde Maka Ska-Isles Neighborhood
To get to the Bde Maka Ska neighborhood from the Meet Minneapolis Visitors Center, you have a couple of easy public transit options. One convenient route is to catch Metro Transit bus #6 from 7th St. & Nicollet Mall, heading south. The #6 bus takes you directly toward Bde Maka Ska and runs frequently. Hop off near the lake, around Lake St. or 31st St., and you’ll be within a short walk of scenic trails and amenities.
Alternatively, you can take the Metro Transit Blue Line light rail from Nicollet Mall Station southbound to the Lake St./Midtown Station. From there, transfer to bus #17, which will take you west to the Bde Maka Ska area.
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