By Owámniyamni Okhódayapi | May 5, 2025
In mid-April the City of Minneapolis announced the approval of an exclusive rights agreement (ERA) with Owámniyomni Okhódayapi. We were excited to solidify something that the City, the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, our organization along with countless others have worked for years to accomplish. Under this agreement, we officially accept the terms by which Owámniyomni Okhódayapi will become the City’s designee to take title to the land directly from the federal government. While this brings us one step closer to it, it is not an official land transfer.
So, what is an ERA?
This ERA is between Owámniyomni Okhódayapi, the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB). Both the City and MPRB have agreed through this ERA to terms that, if fully met, will make Owámniyomni Okhódayapi the City’s designee when the land conveys. These terms reflect aligned interests that Owámniyomni Okhódayapi supports and will fulfill, such as ensuring public access and a public purpose, and demonstrating wherewithal to care for the restored land. The federal government is expected to convey the land to Owámniyomni Okhódayapi in 2026.
What’s left to do?
Conversations between our organization, the Army Corps of Engineers and other stakeholders are continuing as we move toward getting the land transferred. We are thankful for the support we’ve received from our local community as well as our congressional delegation. There is still work to be done but this ERA is a substantial milestone on our path to getting this land back into local control. We look forward to celebrating the full transfer of land ownership by the end of 2026.
How can you help?
You can support our work by staying up to date on our progress via our monthly newsletter , Instagram and Facebook. You can also sign up for one of our upcoming monthly site tours. These tours are free and open to the public and provide an opportunity to learn about the site from a Dakota perspective. If you are able to, you can also contribute financially by donating to Owámniyomni Okhódayapi here.
