A Groundswell Of Support
There is a groundswell of support, especially in Isanti County, for the effort to change
the derogatory and profane (faulty-translation) name of Minnesota's Rum River. Some evidence
of this groundswell of support can be witnesses by the number of sites that have recently been
named "Spirit River" or "Wakan River".
Below, there are links to websites where there is information about several businesses, a community medical clinic, a nature area, a youth club, a substance abuse treatment
center and a city street named after hereditary Dakota Chief Leonard Wabasha's originally chosen
new name for the badly named Rum River, it being Spirit, which is the correct English translation for the Dakota
people's sacred name for the river (Wakan).
(1.) Spirit River Dr S
City Street in Cambridge, Minnesota - Spirit River Dr S. Here is a link to an article about Spirit River Drive South.
(2.) Spirit River Recovery
Substance Abuse Treatment Services at Cambridge Medical Center - Spirit River Recovery in Princeton, Minnesota - located in Mille Lacs County.
(3.) Spirit River Photography
Business - Spirit River Photography - in Isanti, Minnesota - located in Isanti County.
(4.) Spirit River - Gallery & Exchange
Business - Spirit River - Gallery & Exchange in Anoka, Minnesota - located in Anoka County.
(5.) Spirit River WyldLife
Youth Club - Spirit River WyldLife, a youth club in Cambridge, Minnesota - located in Isanti County.
(6.) Spirit River Engineering
Business - Spirit River Engineering in Princeton, Minnesota - located in Mille Lacs County.
(6.) Spirit River Community Clinic
Community Health Clinic - Spirit River Community Clinic in Princeton, Minnesota - located in Mille Lacs County.
(7.) Spirit River Nature Area
Nature Area - Spirit River Nature Area in Cambridge, Minnesota - located in Isanti County.
(8.) Spirit River Farms LLC
Business - Spirit River Farms LLC in Princeton, Minnesota - located in Mille Lacs County.
(9.) Spirit River Studio
Business - Spirit River Studio in Cambridge, Minnesota - located in Isanti County.
(10.) Spirit River Community
Religious Community afiliated affiliated with the United Methodist Church - Spirit River Community in Isanti, Minnesota - located in Isanti County.
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...A supporter of the effort to change the name of the "Rum River", a supporter who I
...correspond with, wrote: "There's also a few more sites named 'Spirit' or 'Wakan' in
...our area than that (see above list) - a creek going into the 'Rum' at the south end
...of the city of Isanti, a community church meeting in the Isanti Lion's Club, and
...others with variations on the Dakota name itself - Wakenen Ct. NE - up by the old Oxbow
...Bridge/Co. Rd. 14 on the 'Rum'."
...More sites named "Spirit" or "Wakan" will be added to this list in the near future.
...Rum River Name Change Movement website