'Sibley' removed from park name, temporary name is 40th Street Park

At the April 16, 2025 board meeting, Commissioners for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) approved a resolution to remove the name "Sibley" from the park and all park assets - including the recreation center building - located at 1900 East 40th Street at Longfellow Ave. in South Minneapolis.

Efforts to rename the park originated in 2016, when community members and students at Sanford Middle School, also in South Minneapolis, submitted a request, based on the history of violence that the park’s original namesake, Henry Hastings Sibley, perpetuated against the Dakota people.

The request noted that community members found the name to be hurtful, limiting both their sense of belonging in the park and their engagement with the park and recreation services MPRB offers at that location.

In 2021, in conjunction with an improvements project at the park, MPRB staff engaged the community on renaming the park.

Per MPRB’s Naming Policy, Commissioners entered the name “Chanté T’ínza Wínyan Park” into official consideration in 2023.

However, after raising concerns about the name, Indigenous advisors asked that MPRB establish a process to consult with Indigenous community members and Tribal Governments when considering Indigenous names for parks.

Once that process is established and its naming policy is updated, MPRB will lead an Indigenous-centered process and timeline for determining a permanent new name for the park.

In the meantime, the approved resolution establishes "40th Street Park" as a temporary name based on the park’s address; and rescinds the 2023 resolution nominating the ”Chanté T’ínza Wínyan Park" name.

An event to recognize the importance of the removal of the name from the park is to take place tentatively in May at 40th Street Park. Details will be shared later.

Project page for Renaming 40th Street Park

Project manager: Adam Arvidson | aarvidson@minneapolisparks.org