New name proposed for Sibley Park

After first being solicited by the community in 2016 about changing the name for Sibley Field Park, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) initiated a community engagement process in 2021, as part of a concurrent park improvements project.
The public participated in multiple community engagement events around renaming and improvements to the park. Survey results indicated overwhelmingly that the park should be renamed.
In response to the engagement and following MPRB's Naming Policy, MPRB staff submitted Resolution 2023-171 as an action item for the Board of Commissioners meeting on Sept. 20, 2023.
The resolution initiates the renaming process by nominating “Chanté T’ínza Wínyan Park" ("Chawn-tay Teen-zah Ween-yawn Park") to replace the name Sibley Field Park. “Chanté T’ínza Wínyan" means "Strong Hearted Women" in the Dakota language. A group of neighbors representing native communities proposed it to remember the Dakota women who, during the time of genocide, were displaced from the land where the park sits today.
Adoption of the resolution will initiate the naming process, including the following steps:
• Submission of the approved nomination to various MPRB staff and several neighborhood organizations
• Two public hearings with certain Commissioner attendance requirements
• A vote by the Board of Commissioners on the proposed name
If the Board of Commissioners does not adopt the resolution, staff would request direction on how to proceed. Commissioners may also amend the resolution and nominate a different name.