>> Cathy: CONSTRUCT BROKE GROUND THIS MONTH ON A RESTORATION PROJECT AT ST.

AN THON Y FALLS IN MINNEAPOLIS.

HERE IS WHAT THE AREA CURRENTLY LOOKS LIKE.

THE NON-PROFIT GROUP OWAMNIOMI OKHODAYAPI, THE ORIGINAL NAME FOR THE FALLS IS, WORKING TO RESTORE THE FALLS AND RESTORE THE BRIDGE FROM PRE-STATE.

WE WELCOME SHELLEY BUCK AND KJERSTI DUVAL TO GIVE US UPDATES ON THE PROJECT.

>> Cathy: REPRESENTATIVE, DID I GET THAT NAME?

>> KIND OF CLOSE.

OWAMNIOMI OKHODAYAPI.

WHICH MEANS -- NEAR BEFORE.

>> Cathy: INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO NATIVE FOLKS.

CAN YOU GIVE US -- IN TERMS OF THE MEANING, THE SPIRITUALTY IN TERMS OF THE AREA?

>> YEAH, THE SITE IS A SACRED SITE OF DAKOTA PEOPLE WHICH I AM DESCENDED FROM.

IT WAS A PLACE OUR PEOPLE WOULD GO AND PRAY, THEY WOULD HAVE MEETINGS THERE, THEY WOULD TRADE THERE.

THERE USED TO BE A SACRED ISLAND, SPIRIT ISLAND, AND SOME OF OUR DAKOTA WOMEN WOULD GO THERE AND GIVE BIRTH.

THERE'S JUST A REALLY SPECIAL PRESENCE ABOUT IT AND IT WAS A PLACE THAT NOT ONLY THE DAKOTA PEOPLE KNEW WAS SPECIAL, BUT OTHER TRIBES ALSO KNEW IT WAS SPECIAL.

>> Eric: NOW THERE'S A PARKING LOT THERE AND ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS STATION.

HOW DO YOU ENVISION HOW IT'S GOING TO LOOK WHEN COMPLETED?

>> YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE SITE HAS BEEN INDUSTRIALIZED FOR SO LONG THAT IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE THIS RESTORATION.

THAT'S COMING.

AND IT WILL BE ENTIRELY RESTORED AS AN ISLAND AGAIN.

THERE WILL BE FLOWING WATER KIND OF ETWEEN THE CENTRAL RIVERFRONT AND THIS ISLAND, UPTON ISLAND.

THERE'S GOING TO BE A -- WILL BRING PEOPLE DOWN TO THE RIVER AND LOWLAND FOREST AND EVENTUALLY AQUATIC HABITAT AND NATURAL SHORELINE.

>> Cathy: ARE YOU HOPING TO BRING BACK ANIMALS AND BIRDS TO THE AREA ONCE THEY REALIZE THIS IS A SAFE AREA?

>> THEY WILL BE BACK.

THEY'VE ALREADY COME BACK.

WE HAVE HAD SOME MUSKRATS COME BACK.

THE MUSKRATS ARE A SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR CREATION STORY.

THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED COMING BACK.

>> Eric: WEREN'T THERE LOT OF HOOPS TO JUMP THROUGH TO GET THROUGH THIS POINT?

LOT OF JURISDICTIONS SEEM TO BE INVOLVED.

>> THERE'S STILL A LOT OF HOOPS WE'RE HAVING TO JUMP THROUGH AT THE LAST MINUTE.

SO, YEAH, BUREAUCRACY IS REALLY FUN TO WORK WITH.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> Cathy: WHO UPERVISES THIS RESTORATION?

DO YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH THE D.N.R., PERHAPS?

THE ARMY CORPS?

>> YEAH, I MEAN, ALMOST EVERYONE IS THE SHORT ANSWER.

>> YEAH, OF COURSE, IT'S A FEDERAL CONVEYANCE, SO.

FEDERALLY OWNED AND WE DO HAVE TO WORK VERY LOSELY WITH THE U.S.

ARMY CORPS AS WE DEVELOP THE PLANS AND THE CONVEYANCE.

BUT REALLY, YOU KNOW, MNDOT HAS BEEN INVOLVED BECAUSE THEY OWN THE BRIDGE, OF COURSE THE D.N.R.

IS A STAKEHOLDER, THE CITY, THE PARK BOARD.

IT'S REALLY BEEN A PRETTY FULL TABLE.

>> Cathy: YOU MENTIONED THE BRIDGE.

SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS.

THE STONE ARCH BRIDGE WILL ALWAYS BE AROUND, RIGHT?

AND I'M WONDERING CAN YOU RESTORE AN AREA TO WHAT IT WAS, PRE-WHITE SETTLERS I GUESS?

>> YEAH, THERE'S NO WAY WE COULD.

LIKE THE FALLS AT ONE TIME THEY WERE 12 A0 FEET WIDE.

TODAY THEY'RE A THIRD OF THE SIZE.

THERE ARE BUILDINGS ON TOP OF WHERE SOME OF THE FALLS USED TO BE.

WE KNOW WE CAN'T FULLY RESTORE IT, BUT AS CLOSE TO WHAT IT WAS AS WE CAN.

>> Eric: IS FUND-RAISING COMPLETE?

>> THIS PHASE IS READY TO GO AND 100% FUNDED.

NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THERE'S ALSO BEEN -- SO IT'S READY TO GO.

>> Eric: AND THE MISSION STATEMENT OF THIS PLACE IS WHAT EXACTLY?

WHAT ARE YOU -- >> I'LL LEAVE THAT TO SHELLEY.

>> Eric: WHAT ARE YOU PORTRAYING HERE?

>> YEAH, WE ARE WORKING TO RESTORE THE FIVE ACRES OF SACRED DAKOTA LAND WHILE ALSO BRINGING BACK DAKOTA PEOPLE, BRINGING BACK OUR CONNECTION TO THIS SITE, AND ALSO BRINGING OUR STORIES AND HISTORY BACK.

BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN FORGOTTEN IN YOUR OWN HOMELANDS.

THE WHOLE STATE OF MINNESOTA IS OUR OMELANDS AND YOU DON'T SEE A LOT OF DAKOTA IN THE TWIN CITIES.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NO LONGER FORGOTTEN BECAUSE WE ARE STILL HERE.

>> Cathy: LET ME ASK YOU, YOU MENTIONED FUND-RAISING WHICH HAS BEEN GOING WELL.

WHAT'S THE -- WHAT RESONATES WITH FOLKS WHO ARE GIVING YOU THE MONEY?

>> DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT ONE, SHELLEY?

>> YEAH, SURE.

THERE'S VARIOUS DIFFERENT REASONS DEPENDING ON WHO YOU TALK TO.

FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE DOWN THERE OR VISIT THERE A LOT, THEY WANT TO SEE A BEAUTIFUL SITE.

THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT HARD SURFACES AND THE UGLY VIEW.

THEY WANT TO SEE NATURE, THEY WANT TO HAVE A PLACE THAT THEY COULD GO AND BE IN PEACE.

THEY ALSO, PEOPLE WATCH THE WATER, RIGHT NOW YOU CAN'T TOUCH THE WATER.

SO OUR SECOND PHASE OF THE PROJECT IS THE WATER RESTORATION WHERE WE -- SHORELINE THAT PEOPLE COULD ACTUALLY TOUCH THE WATER.

SO THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO DO THAT.

FOR DAKOTA PEOPLE, WE WANT TO A PLACE THAT WE CAN GO BACK AND RECONNECT WITH OUR RELATIVES, OUR NATURAL RELATIVES AND PRAY AND GIVE THANKS LIKE OUR ANCESTORS USED TO AT THE SITE.

>> Cathy: SPIRIT ISLAND, YOU MENTIONED SPIRIT ISLAND.

-- VERY -- WAY TO -- >> IT HAS BEEN A CONVERSATION AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT DAKOTA KNOWLEDGE -- KEEPERS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT AND WE'VE REALLY LOOKED AT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL COME INTO GREATER, -- WHICH IS WHERE WE'RE REALLY -- OF WHERE PARTS OF IT, REMAINS OF IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN PLACED.

AND SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO BE PART OF A CONVERSATION MOVING FORWARD