Anoka County / Rum River may flow back to its roots

In the Dakota language, Wakan means "Great Spirit" or "Great Mystery." It is what indigenous people called the river that snakes from Lake Mille Lacs to the Mississippi River.

[gave up]

this is what we spend tax money on. sad

[Jay]

Now the PC police are going after river names? What's next? Requiring all white people to move back to Europe?

[Driver]

Of all the problems in this world it is unbelievable that this guy would have to create a new one for himself to fix. Rum River is perfectly OK! Our family sings the name every time we cross it on our way up to Mille Lacs. It never occurred to me that it could be an insult to some busybody from Wahkon. But now thanks to his efforts I will remember this -- and laugh.

Please go plant some trees, or volunteer at a homeless shelter. But don't pour your energy into something this pointless. No one cares!

[Mr T]

Once I was on a committee that Mr. Dahlheimer was addressing about changing the name of the Rum River and all other Rum River related names. One of the people on the committee, who had one hundred plus years of ancestry in the community, expressed his opposition to the name change. Mr. Dahlheimer's response was: "You, sir, are a racist!"

It occurred to me that there is more than one kind of racism.

[dhorn]

Based on Mr. Dahlheimer's logic we would also need to rename most of the waterways in or connected to our state. the Minnesota River the St Croix river and Lake Superior to name a few

[wondering why]

We can't have anything offensive to anybody
Guess that's what the world is coming to.
Heaven forbid we can say what we are thinking.
Abusing someone is one thing. Offending someone is in the eye of the beholder.

[Bill majors]

What is this guy cracked, human rights. I am so sick and tired of people throwing around the term human rights. The expression has lost meaning. It is intended for things like the right to live, the right to beliefs and not be murdered for those beliefs. It is not the right to free health care or to name a river. Outside of human rights there are civil rights. Rights that a civil nation should give to its peoples. The right to name a river. Get over this guilt you feel. White men came to america and conqured it plain and simple. Did he use ways that are viewed as not appropriate in modern times - yes. But did I do it, no did my parents do it, no Did my grandparents do it, no. Is there anyone left who had that happen to them, no their parents, no. So get over it! Learn from history and move forward.

[Bill majors]

A further point, if we are going to change all the names the indians find "offensive" I say lets remove any indian names (except there lands). Because I'm offended by them.

[Big Lake Res]

Woudn't it make more sense for this guy to focus his efforts on reducing the alcohol problems in the American Indian population instead of whining about the river's name. I'm pretty sure nobody has become an alcoholic because they were pissed about the name of the Rum River. The problem idiots like this guy have is that they are more concerned about their good intentions than actually solving problems.

[KVG]

Until & unless Dahlheimer can show, with a high degree of probability, that the intent to use the name "Rum" in naming the river was derogatory the taxpayers in Minnesota should not have to pay anything in time or money to correct a problem created by Dahlheimer. It looks to me like the only thing this "Champion of Justice" wants to do is create a name for himself by bringing up false charges of racism. For all we know the reason it is called the Rum River is because it was a favorite shipping route of rum to specific trading posts.
If however the river was named in a derogatory manner then the word Rum should be removed & I would support any efforts to change the name.

[BillB Pigs Eye]

But guess what ? Wakonda, South Dakota was asked to change from that name ( great spirit again) to an English name so not to shame the native people with such a dump of a town. Since the Rum is not so clean and all is that an honor to have it called Wakan ? What was the name before that by the way by who ever lived here before ? This Dahlmer guy has been hanging around the haunted Rum River Inn too much. But then a haunted place called " Great Spirit Inn " might even draw a few curious minds. I will drink to that. Rum please

[Mad Jack]

So- Dahlheimer is an "activist"? How much does that pay, Tom? Did you go to a vo-tech to learn it?

[BillB Pigs Eye]

How a bout Whiskey Lane ? or bourbon street ? Jim, beam me up please....Jack Daniels and Johnny Walker married sisters...Next his freak will want to rename payne ave to pleasure lane I suppose..how about renaming Fertile and Climax two little towns in northwestern Minnesota. get a life Dollhomer.