Meanings
- A lake in Minneapolis, Minnesota; more commonly known by its former official name, Lake Calhoun.
We should erect side-by-side plaques on the shore of Bde Maka Ska (formally Lake Calhoun).
2017 November 28, Timothy Hennum, “Bde Maka Ska/Lake Calhoun: True, we can't change history, but we can chart change”, in Minneapolis Star Tribune2 more examples
"When I go to Bde Maka Ska with my kids – my three-month old,^([sic]) and my two-year old^([sic]) who is just learning to talk – I teach them our family’s story of survival,” says Kate. “I teach them that we have a powerful connection this place as Dakota people.
2016 March 8, Jon Lurie, “Reclaiming Bde Maka Ska for the Future Generations”, in The Circle NewsThe downtown skyline is seen from across Bde Maka Ska after a snow storm December 12, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
2018 January 19, Sameer Rao, “Minnesota Changes Lake Calhoun to Original Dakota Name, Bde Maka Ska”, in ColorLines magazine
Origin
- DakotaBdé Makhá Ská“Lake White Earth”
- EnglishBde Maka Ska
Borrowed from Dakota Bdé Makhá Ská (“Lake White Earth”); see bdé, makhá, and ská.
More words from Dakota
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Bde Maka Ska. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bde%20Maka%20Ska
“Bde Maka Ska.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bde%20Maka%20Ska. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Bde Maka Ska,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bde%20Maka%20Ska.
Source: Bde Maka Ska on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.