On Octber 20, 2005, the following letter to the editor was published in the Saint Cloud Diocese's newspaper, the Cathilc Visitor.

RUM RIVER OFFENSIVE TO NATIVE AMERICANS

by Thomas Dahlheimer
Wahkon, MN

My international movement to rename the Rum River is steadily gaining more and more support. Plus, several Minnesota legislators have written me and thanked me for the work that I am doing to change the river's name.

One legislator has given his support, and others are interested in possibly sponsoring a proposed Minnesota bill that I wrote and have displayed on my Web site (www.towahkon.org). If this bill passed, several geographic place names that are offensive and derogatory to Native Americans would be replaced, including, the Rum River, West Branch Rum River, Red Skin Lake, Cut Foot Sioux Lake, Sioux River, Sioux Lake, Little Sioux Lake, Savage Lake, Devil Track Lake and Devil Track River.

Now-a-days, all across our country, "Redskin" and "Savage" are considered offensive and derogatory names for Native Americans. So is the name Sioux for the Dakota people. According to the Minnesota historical Society's Web site: "The terminal part of Nadouessioux, a term of hatred, meaning "snake, enemies," which was applied by the Ojibwe and other Algonquians to this people."

And according to the Minnesota Historical Society's Web site: "Devil Track River", "is Manido bimadagakowini zibi, meaning the spirits (or God) walking-place-on-the-ice river." The Ojibwe applied this name primarily to Devil Track Lake, and thence, according to their custom, to the out-flowing river. The name implies mystery or something supernatural about the lake and its winter covering of ice, but without the supremely evil idea that is given in the white men's translation."

Therefore, I believe that our state's names for Devil Track Lake and Devil Track River are offensive to the Ojibwe. I would like these names changed to Manido Track Lake and Manido Track River. Manido translates as great Spirit or God.