Five acres of federal land are being transferred to a Dakota-led nonprofit for the ecological restoration of the Mississippi River’s St. Anthony Falls, an area of deep significance to Indigenous people, particularly the Dakota.

Owámniyomni Okhódayapi, formerly Friends of the Falls, already holds a 25-year lease with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for access and programming of the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam. The land will officially transfer to the downtown Minneapolis-based organization in 2026, then the project can begin, with completion slated for early 2028.

Owámniyomni Okhódayapi will continue to engage with Minnesota’s four Dakota tribes as it works to transform the land into a place of healing, restoration, education, and connection. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is partnering with Owámniyomni Okhódayapi on native vegetation, restored water flow, and a renewed connection to the river.

Owámniyomni (“turbulent waters”) is the Dakota word for St. Anthony Falls. For help with the pronunciation of Owámniyomni (Oh-WAH-mini-yo-mini) Okhódayapi (Oh-KOH-dah-yah-pee), watch this video on Instagram.

The 5.2-acre project site is comprised of three separate parcels. Image courtesy of Owámniyomni Okhódayapi

“Owámniyomni is not only a place sacred to the Dakota—it is a place of shared importance to all who call this land home,” Owámniyomni Okhódayapi President Shelley Buck said in a statement. “Our vision for the land at Owámniyomni is to create a place of healing, beauty and belonging that is open to everyone—while reclaiming Dakota stewardship of this land, restoring native plantings and uplifting traditional practices in caring for our natural relatives.”

The City and the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board recently issued a call for artists interested in creating a mural or sculpture honoring Owámniyomni at Water Works Park, which overlooks St. Anthony Falls and the lock and dam.

The Upper Lock was constructed in 1959 and closed to commercial navigation in 2015 to halt the upriver spread of invasive carp. Congress passed legislation ordering the transfer of the site from the Army Corps of Engineers to the City of Minneapolis or a designee in 2020. The City chose Friends of the Falls, which was later renamed Owámniyomni Okhódayapi and transitioned to Dakota leadership.