There a series of exciting events coming up to celebrate the creek, Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ.
Please mark your calendars and share widely. Hope to see you soon–maybe even this upcoming Monday October 12!
Monday October 12 at 10:00am – Fourth Annual Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ Water Blessing at Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis Park. The event includes opening remarks by Darlene St. Clair (Dakota) and a water blessing by Ronelle Siert (Dakota/Anishinaabe) and Amara Moore (Dakota/Anishinaabe). There will also be fun activities and ideas for how to support healthy waters. Event details here.
We’ll also celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day through song, land acknowledgment, and updates about the Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ / Bassett Creek Oral History Project. Indigenous participants will share ways to care for the lands and waters of Mni Sóta Makoce (Minnesota).
Using Dakota place names helps to honor the people who have lived here for thousands of years. Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ is the Dakota name for Bassett Creek.
10:00 – Water Blessing. Meet at Westwood Hills Nature Center, 8300 West Franklin Avenue, St. Louis Park, MN 55426.
10:30 (approximate) – Arts activities and education tables.
Rain or shine. Free. Family friendly. Accessible. Please feel free to bring chairs, blankets, and water bottles. Free parking is available. Carpooling is encouraged.
Registration is optional.
Whóphida thaŋka (thank you!) to cultural advisors Bradley Blackhawk (Ho-Chunk), Darlene St. Clair (Dakota), Jim Rock (Dakota), and Roxanne Gould (Anishinaabe).
Funders: Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission, City of Golden Valley Environmental Commission, and Valley Community Presbyterian Church.
Community partners: City of Golden Valley DEI Commission, City of Minnetonka Historical Society, City of St. Louis Park, Golden Valley Historical Society, Minnesota Repair Communities, Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, St. Louis Park Historical Society, Plymouth History Center, Robbinsdale Historical Society, The Loppet, Three Rivers Park District, and Westwood Hills Nature Center.
Saturday October 17 from 9:00am – Come and enjoy the Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ Loopet at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis. The Little Loppet for kids is free. Register here for the 1-Loop Fun Run and other races.
Now through Thursday November 5 – Enjoy landscape photography by Cassandra Roy (Anishinaabe) from her year-long efforts to photograph Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ / Bassett Creek in all 4 seasons. Free and open to the public at The Trailhead in Theodore Wirth Park. You can also enjoy Cassandra’s digital photo album and recorded artist talk.
Finally, please enjoy some new resources that highlight the creek:
MPR article and Minneapolis Parks Foundation post featuring Nibi Walk along Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ in April 2026 and the event organizer, Sharon Day.
Dr. Kasey Keeler from the Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ / Bassett Creek Oral History Project gave an author talk at Hennepin History Museum in March 2026. She has also published a scholarly article that discusses the oral histories.
And some fun news! Artists have been incorporating Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ into their work. The creek’s Dakota name was included in this poem by Heid E. Erdrich, this play by zAmya Theater, and this book by Debra J. Stone.