East Bde Maka Ska is a neighborhood within the
Calhoun-Isles community in the
U.S. city of
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
. It was known as East Calhoun prior to August 2021.
The neighborhood is located south of the
East Isles neighborhood and its northern portion along with parts of the East Isles,
Lowry Hill East, and
South Uptown neighborhoods forms the city's
Uptown district. East Bde Maka Ska is bordered on the north by
Lake Street, on the east by
Hennepin Avenue
Hennepin Avenue is a major street in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It runs from Lakewood Cemetery (at West 36th Street), north through the Uptown, Minneapolis, Uptown District of Southwest Minneapolis, through the Virginia Triangle, the ...
, on the south by West 36th Street and on the west by
Bde Maka Ska
Bde Maka Ska ( , previously named Lake Calhoun) is the largest lake in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, and part of the city's Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway#Paths_around_lakes, Chain of Lakes. Surrounded by city park land and circled b ...
. It is in
Ward 10, represented by
council member Aisha Chughtai
Aisha Siddida Chughtai (born September 4, 1997) is an American community organizer and politician serving as the vice president of the Minneapolis City Council, representing the 10th Ward. A member of the DFL, she was elected in 2021 to succeed ...
.
History
Neighborhood name
East Bde Maka Ska is named for the lake that forms its western border,
Bde Maka Ska
Bde Maka Ska ( , previously named Lake Calhoun) is the largest lake in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, and part of the city's Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway#Paths_around_lakes, Chain of Lakes. Surrounded by city park land and circled b ...
.
The neighborhood was initially named East Calhoun, after the former name for the lake, Lake Calhoun. In the
aftermath of
murder of George Floyd
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black American man, was murdered in Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old White police officer. Floyd had been arrested after a store clerk reported that he made a purchase using a c ...
and greater awareness of racial justice issues, community members sought to change the name.
The Minneapolis City Council approved a name change to East Bde Maka Ska change on July 23, 2021, which became effective July 31, 2021.
The East Bde Maka Ska name is intended to honor the history of the
Dakota people
The Dakota (pronounced , or ) are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribe (Native American), tribe and First Nations in Canada, First Nations band government in North America. They compose two of the three main subcultur ...
in the area.
Environmental conservation
The neighborhood has been recognized for its environmental conservation efforts. It was one of the first neighborhoods in the Minneapolis area to adopt
organic waste
Biodegradable waste includes any organic matter in waste which can be broken down into carbon dioxide, water, methane, compost, humus, and simple organic molecules by micro-organisms and other living things by composting, aerobic digestion, ana ...
recycling
Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the propert ...
, a relatively new waste management solution, and has been used as an example of a successful organics recycling project. The city of Minneapolis placed a curbside organic waste pickup pilot program in the neighborhood in 2015.
The neighborhood pioneered programs such as "Waste Watchers", a recycling and organics program designed to raise awareness and strengthen community ties to waste reduction, as well as the Turn Off Lights Behind You (TOLBY) program, designed to help families and children remember to turn off lights in unoccupied rooms in their households to reduce energy consumption.
See also
* ''
Bde Maka Ska Public Art Project''
References
External links
Minneapolis Neighborhood Profile - East CalhounEast Bde Maka Ska Neighborhood Organization
Neighborhoods in Minneapolis
{{HennepinCountyMN-geo-stub