The Pioneers monument at B.F. Nelson Park. (Northeaster file, Mark Peterson)
After years of community-led efforts to bring attention to a statue that many see as offensive and retraumatizing to Indigenous people, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) Commissioners took a major step toward potentially removing the Pioneers monument in B. F. Nelson Park.
That step took the form of a vote by MPRB Commissioners to “deaccession” the monument from the MPRB public art collection on Dec 3. The board defined deaccession in a news release as “a term used by organizations with art collections for officially removing an item from its listed holdings.” The board added that this is the first time an artwork has been deaccessioned by the MPRB after it adopted a new Public Art Policy in 2025 that outlined guidelines for the process.
The move comes as the board follows its Indigenous Action Plan, which seeks to weave Indigenous “truth, recognition, and acknowledgement” into how the park system is run. It centers listening to Native communities about park policies, practices and spaces.
“While some may see the Pioneers monument as a piece of art or a tribute to their ancestors, Native and non-Native community members repeatedly shared strong feedback that it is offensive to park users and retraumatizing to Indigenous people and people from diverse religious and faith backgrounds,” the news release said. “Feedback indicated the mural on (the) back depicts an incomplete and inaccurate representation of the history of the area and ignores the harmful impacts of colonization on Dakota and other Indigenous peoples.”
The Northeaster has previously reported on the efforts to remove the monument. The statue was first unveiled at Pioneer Square across from the main post office in 1936. It was then moved to Marshall and 5th Street NE in 1968, and was moved again, in 2010, to its current home. In late 2020, the monument was vandalized with slogans and red paint. Since then, there have been numerous community events disccusing removing or repurposing the statue.
The St. Anthony West Neighborhood Organization (STAWNO), St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board, Public Art Advisory Panel of the Minneapolis Arts Commission and the MPRB Planning Committee all have recently voted in support of deaccession.
Sally Grans Korsch, who serves on the board of directors for STAWNO, told the Northeaster that she’s grateful for the vote.
“Change is difficult, but inaccurate history should not be glamorized,” she said.
As for what’s next, the MPRB news release on the matter lays out the following next steps in removing the statue:
• Researching the artist’s family and next of kin for possible return.
• Discussing relocation of all or parts of the sculpture with local arts and community organizations.
• Speaking with a local cultural association about possible philanthropic or community interest in acquiring the artwork.
• Reaching out to a local granite quarry on possible reuse of the stone, including costs and manner of removal.
• Figuring out costs and logistics of long-term storage for all or parts of the sculpture by the MPRB.
• Exploring repurposing the granite base as seating elements in a newly naturalized landscape project along the riverfront.