Why Change Name

Here we have displayed both a link to a map that shows the location of the "Rum" River, as well as quotations from historical markers and documents that will, we hope, give you an understanding as to why we are trying to change the name of the "Rum" River.

We are also trying to change the name of one of the "Rum" River's tributaries, the West Branch "Rum" River.

The displays below present:

1.) A link to a section of a Minnesota, U.S.A. map that shows the location of the "Rum" River.

Click Map to view a map of the "Rum" River.

2.) A quotation from a historical document written by Vickie Wendel, the manager of the Anoka Country Historical Society Center and a board member of the Anoka Country Historical Society. In this historical document(River file # 26) Wendel informs us that..."in a 1868 St. Paul Daily Pioneer article, the "Rum" River name is listed, along with some other geographic names, as 'Profane'".

"The 'profane name' was already in use by some in 1861, as was the animosity toward the native people of Minnesota. A St. Paul newspaper reported."

3.) A quotation from a historical marker located at Peninsula Point Two Rivers Historical Park in Anoka, Minnesota. This historical marker credits the naming of the "Rum" River from a "faulty translation".

"In November of 1767, Jonathan Carver stopped at the Point. He is credited with naming the Rum River from a faulty translation of the Dakota words meaning "spirit river," which flowed out of Spirit Lake, now known as Mille Lacs Lake."

4.) A quotation from the Rum River historical marker located between Milaca and Onamia states that the "Rum" River name is thought to be a mistranslation.

" The Rum River history is as interesting as its name and thought to be a mistranslation of the Dakota Indian name, spirit, to Rum by white settlers."

5.) A quotation from "Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origins and Historic Significances" by Warren Upham, published by the Minnesota Historical Society. In this quotation Warren Upham states that the Rum River name is incompatible with its "Sioux" or rather Dakota name (Wakan), because "rum brought misery and ruin...to many of the Indians".

" The name of Rum river, which Carver in 1766 and Pike in 1805 found in use by English-speaking fur traders, was indirectly derived from the Sioux. Their name of Mille Lacs, Mde Wakan, translated Spirit lake, was given to its river, but was changed by the white man to the most common spirituous liquor brought into the Northwest, rum, which brought misery and ruin, as Du Luth observed of brandy, to many of the Indians..."

To view the displayed above quote on the Minnesota Historical Society's website click reference and then ...click "R" and then scroll down to "Rum River", and then click "Go", and then scroll down to Mille Lacs County.

6.) A quotation from "Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origins and Historic Significances" by Warren Upham, published by the Minnesota Historical Society. In this quotation Warren Upham states that the "Rum" River name is "the white men's perversion of the ancient Sioux name Wakan".

"Nicollet's map, published in 1843, has 'Iskode Wabo or Rum R., this name given by the Ojibways, but derived by them from the white men's perversion of the ancient Sioux name Wakan, being in more exact translation "Fire Water."

To view the displayed above quote on the Minnesota Historical Society's website click reference and then ...click "R" and then scroll down to "Rum River", and then click "Go", and then scroll down to Mille Lacs County.

To view the displayed above quote located on an on-line presentation of the book Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origins and Historic Significances" by Warren Upham click "the white men's perversion of the ancient Sioux name Wakan"

7.) A quotation from "Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origins and Historic Significances" by Warren Upham, published by the Minnesota Historical Society. In this quotation Warren Upham admonishes the white men who named the river "Rum". He wrote in Minnesota Geographic Names that the "Rum" River is a "badly named" river.

"Anoka, Minnesota.....It was said to mean 'on both sides,' when rendered into less musical English; and to this day the name is by no means inappropriate, as the town is growing up and extending on either side of the beautiful but badly named river."

8.) A quotation from "Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origins and Historic Significances" by Warren Upham, published by the Minnesota Historical Society. In this quotation Warren Upham states that the white man's name for the river ("Rum") is both a "punning translation" name, as well as a "punning perversion" of the ancient Sioux name Wakan.

"Wakan island, noted on a following page for the present village of Wahkon, was the source of the name Mde Wakan, to the lake and to this great subtribe of the Siouan people, and was accountable, by a punning translation, for the Rum river, the outlet of this lake....."and Spirit island...Wonderful as this island is, it was the origin of the Sioux name of the lake, of this village, and, by a punning perversion noted on a later page, the name of Rum river."

To view the "punning translation" segment of the displayed above quote on the Minnesota Historical Society's website click reference and then ...click "R" and then scroll down to "Rum River", and then click "Go", and then scroll down to Mille Lacs County.

9.) On a Kathio Landmark Trial interpretive sign, located at Mille Lacs Kathio State Park, Leonard E. Wabasha's statement about his peoples' ancient homeland on the headwaters of the "Rum" River is displayed. In Mr. Wabasha's interpretive sign he refers to the "badly named" Rum" River as "Spirit River". His interpretive sign is titled: Kathio - A Place of Choice, and it is subtitled: Homeland of the Dakota. On this interpretive sign Leanard E. Wabasha of the Lower Sioux (Dakota) Indian Community is quoted as saying:

"My people are the Mdewakanton Dakota Oyate. Mdewakanton means the ‘People of Spirit Lake.' Today that lake is known as Mille Lacs. This landscape is sacred to the Mdewakanon Oyate because one Otokaheya Woyakapi (creation story) says we were created here. It is especially pleasing for me to come here and walk these trails, because about 1718 the first Chief Wabasha was born here, at the headwaters of Spirit River. I am the eight in this line of hereditary chiefs."

10.) The City of Cambridge, Minnesota (population 5,520), Isanti County Active Living By Design and the Cambridge Campus of Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) have made a multicultural statement that shows due respect for Native Americans. They made this multicultural statement by naming a Cambridge two mile long nature area - located along the currently named "Rum" River - SPIRIT RIVER NATURE AREA, instead of Rum River Nature Area.

Interpretive signs were created and added to trials in this nature area. These signs located along the SPIRIT RIVER NATURE AREA trails tell visitors about the plant and animal life, the ecosystems, the geology, and even some cultural history associated with this nature area.

On an interpretive sign located in this nature area there are the words: "The Rum River was the super highway for the Isanti Indians. To them, this important waterway was known as Wakpa Wakan, the Great Spirit River, until a white man’s pun turned "spirit" into "rum."

Click Spirit River Nature Area to view more information about this nature area.

11.) On another Kathio Landmark Trail interpretive sign there are the words: "People of the greater Dakota nation who lived in this vicinity came to be known by the band name Mdewakanton. These people knew the lake we now call Mille Lacs as Mde Wakan. Mde translates to "water," or "body of water," Wakan translates variously to "sacred, spirit or spiritual." The name Mdewakanton refers to the band of Dakota people who originally lived near Mille Lacs Lake. Notable Mdewakanton family names include Little Crow, Shakopee and Wabasha."

On an interpretive sign located on the Kathio Landmark Trail Leonard E. Wabasha states that: "My people are the Mdewakanton Dakota Oyate. Mdewakanton means the ‘People of Spirit Lake.' Today that lake is known as Mille Lacs. This landscape is sacred to the Mdewakanon Oyate because one Otokaheya Woyakapi (creation story) says we were created here. It is especially pleasing for me to come here and walk these trails, because about 1718 the first Chief Wabasha was born here, at the headwaters of Spirit River. I am the eight in this line of hereditary chiefs."

Wakan sometimes translates variously to sacred, spirit or spiritual. However, in respect to the Dakota names Mde Wakan (Spirit Lake) and Wakpa Wakan (Spirit River) the name Wakan translates to mean (Great) Spirit.

On an interpretive sign located in a Cambridge, Minnesota nature area there are the words: "The Rum River was the super highway for the Isanti (Mdewakanton) Indians. To them, this important waterway was known as Wakpa Wakan, the Great Spirit River,…"

On the Mille Lacs Kathio State Park website there are the words: "Hundreds of years before Europeans settled in the region, the Dakota people established permanent villages along the shores of Ogechie Lake, and the Rum River. These people came to be known as the Mdewakanton, which translated means "Water of the Great Spirit." On the Baldwin Township website Mdewakanton is translated to mean people of the "Lake of the Great Spirit". Mde means "water" or "lake". Wakan means " Spirit" or "Great Spirit", and "ton" refers to "people". On Wabasha’s interpretive sign he states: "Mdewakanton means ‘People of Spirit Lake’". These interpretations are correct.

The Mdewakanton are the "people" of the "Water of the Great Spirit", or the "people" of the "Lake of the Great Spirit". In other words, the Mdewakanton are the "People of Spirit Lake", or the People of Great Spirit Lake". Therefore, the name Wakan in both the Dakota name for Mille Lacs Lake (Mde Wakan) and "Rum River" (Wakpa Wakan) translates to means Spirit or Great Spirit.

However, no one term can express the full meaning of the Dakota's Wakan. The full meaning of Wakan transcends the term Great Spirit and also includes multiple divinities or gods.

"The religious faith of the Dakota is not in his gods as such. It is an intangible, mysterious something of which they are only the embodiment, and that in such a measure and degree as may accord with the individual fancy of the worshiper. The great object of all their worship, whatever its chosen medium, is the TA-KOO WAK-KON, which is the supernatural and mysterious. No one term can express the full meaning of the Dakota's Wakan. It comprehends all mystery, secret power, and divinity. ref:

"…the everlasting, all pervading, invisible Taku Wakan is the essence of all life, pervading all nature, animate and inanimate." Taku Wakan, the Great Spirit includes all of the Dakota’s wakan gods and spirits.

"Those who travel among the Lakota hear them speak of their beliefs in wakan by many names: Wakan Tanka, Tunkashila, Taku SkanSkan, Great Spirit, Grandfather. The traveler might ask. Are these names for one being or for many?" The answer would have to be both."

"Mankind is permitted to pray to the wakan beings. If their prayer is directed to all the good wakan beings, they should pray to Wakan Tanka; but if the prayer is offered to only one of these beings, then the one addressed should be named.... Wakan Tanka is like sixteen different persons; but each person is kan. Therefore, they are only the same as one."

The famous chief Red Cloud is quoted as saying. "As a child I was taught the Taku Wakan (Supernatural Spirits) were powerful and could do strange things. This was taught me by the wise men and the shamans."

"The local story goes that the French mistranslated the original Dakota name for the ‘River of Good Spirits’ into the ‘Rum River’ because those were the spirits that the French were most familiar with (Waters 1977:176)." ref:

"…his son sends the Chief as a guide for his brother, by the way of the Wakpa Wakan to the Chief at the Lake of the Spirits. Spirit River, now called Rum River."

How does Mde Wakan when translated go from meaning "Lake of the Spirits" to Spirit Lake, or to Lake of the Great Spirit? And like wise, how does Wakpa Wakan when translated go from meaning "River of the Good Spirits" to Spirit River, or to Great Spirit River?

The Dakota considered the name Wakantanka to have the same meaning as their name Wakan. However, the missionaries who coined the name Wakantanka intended that the Dakota use it to mean God or Great Spirit, not as another name for their list of divinities.

When the Dakota name Wakan is translated into English, the list of the Dakota’s divinities or "Good Spirits", with the exception of one, are sometimes excluded from the list, leaving only the Great Spirit Taku Shanskan, the Supreme Being or the Great Wakan. This is how the name Wakan in the Dakota name for the "Rum River" (Wakpa Wakan), sometimes gets translated "Spirit" or "Great Spirit" and not "Good Spirits" or "Spirits".

Another way that the name Wakan in the Dakota's name for their Wakpa Wakan (Spirit River) gets translated Great Spirit is because their wakan gods and spirits are only the same as one Spirit, the Great Spirit.

In Minnesota Geographic Names, Warren Upham wrote that it was by way of a "punning translation" that white men gave the Wakpa Wakan (Great Spirit River) the "perverted" name Rum. This makes us believe that fur-trading rum-runners were running rum up the Wakpa Wakan to trade for furs and that this caused a lot of the Dakota people to catch the disease of alcoholism and become alcoholic drunkards; and that this, in turn, caused the rum runners to believe that the only spirit that the Dakota were, at the time, believing in was the alcohol spirit (rum) and that this is how the river received its current profane name. By way of a faulty translation white-European rum runners degraded the Dakota's Great Spirit to the alcohol spirit rum.

12.) And in a Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe book about their heritage, the Mille Lacs Band has stated that:

"In the mid 1600, at least some of the Dakota people lived in the region around Mille Lacs Lake. The Dakota called the lake Mde Wakan, or Spirit Lake. Spirit River, which flows out of the lake, was renamed the Rum River by French explorers. They had not understood the meaning of the word, ‘Spirit' and translated the name as ‘spirits,' meaning liquor."

13.) The "Rum" River flows out of Mille Lacs Lake. And on the Minnesota DNR’s website there is an article about Minnesota’s geographic place names that are mistakes due to incorrect interpretations of non-English names as well as one deliberate misinterpretation of an American "Indian" name for a geographic place.

In respect to the deliberate misinterpretation of an American Indian name for a geographic place, a Minnesota DNR website article states: "Not so the name for the river flowing out of Mille Lacs. The lake was known to the Dakota as Mde Wakan, 'spirit lake.' They called the river by the same name. But traders made a pun with the name of the spirituous liquor that caused such misery and destruction during the fur trade."

The alcohol spirit (rum) is a radically different kind of spirit than the Spirit associated with the Mdewakanton Dakota "name" for the "Rum River" (Wakan), it is translated as (Great) Spirit. Wakan is not correctly translated alcohol spirit, or the alcohol spirit rum. And because the name Wakan is a part of the full modern-day Dakota name for the Great Spirit (Wakantonka), the "Rum" River name indirectly desecrates the [full] Dakota name for the Great Spirit. The "Rum" River name is considered derogatory to a growing number of indigenous people throughout the Americas as well as to many other people.

14.) On October 19, 2003 our director received an e-mail from Wilhelm K. Meya of Indiana University's American Indian Studies Research Institute. The e-mail is about both the Mdewakanton Dakota history in the Mille Lacs area, as well as their use of the word wakan. In addition, Meya's e-mail addresses the mis-translation issue associated with the "Rum" River's profane and derogatory name. Click Wilhelm K. Meya's e-mail to read his e-mail.

15.) A quote from an article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Renaming process

Names for lakes, rivers, mountains and regions across the country are not set in stone, says Roger Payne, executive secretary of the U. S. Geological Surveys Board on Geographic Names.

In Minnesota, residents can try to have place names changed by getting a petition signed by at least 15 registered voters in the county where the natural resource is located.

The person must submit a petition to the County board of commissioners, which decides whether to schedule a hearing to discuss a potential name change.

A majority of the board must agree to the proposal. It then must get approval from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the federal board on geographic names.

About 40 names of natural resources in Minnesota have been changed since 1982, according to Glen Yakel, supervisor of hydrographics at the DNR. Two requests are pending.

In 1995, Minnesota was the first state to remove uses of the word squaw, which some American Indians consider a vulgar term for vagina. Leaders of the American Indian Movement, persuaded the Legislature to change 19 place names that included the word.

Americans file about 400 to 500 request a year to change the names of natural resources around the country, Payne said. About half are to change existing names. The other half are propositions to name unnamed features.

Staff Writer,

Monica Polanco

Note: While a resident can try to have a place name changed by getting a petition signed by at least 15 registered voters in each county where the natural resource is located (in this case the River runs through four counties, and the West Branch Rum River through three counties), each county board must decide to schedule a public hearing in which all four boards will meet together in a single place, with approval of a name change contingent on approval of a majority of the county boards. (The name change of the West Branch Rum River requires a separate meeting of three county boards.)

The other way a resident can try to have a place name changed is by the legislative (or state bill) method. At this time, we are pursuing the legislative method. And because there are several other derogatory geographic place names in Minnesota, we decided to add them to our proposed state bill, believing that our proposed bill would stand a better chance of getting sponsored and pasted if all of our state's derogatory geographic place names were placed on the bill. Rep. Mike Jaros recently introduced the bill to the legislature, The bill can be viewed by clicking   state bill.