Pathways to Pollution

Photo of Battle Creek in Čhokáŋ Taŋka (Pigs Eye Park)

Visitors to Pig's Eye Park indicate on a map where the July 2021 CP diesel spill occured

Welcome to 'Pathways to Pollution'!

Our podcast is centered around the July 2021 Canadian Pacific (CP) diesel spill that occurred in St. Paul, Minnesota. The spill occured over Battle Creek, a creek that drains into Pig's Eye Lake, located in Čhokáŋ Taŋka (otherwise known as Pigs Eye Park).

We use the events of July 2021 as a jumping off point to introduce listeners to Čhokáŋ Taŋka, and demonstrate how the park has been abandoned by the city of St. Paul to the industry that surrounds it. We also acknowledge the ways that this spill event represents a broader trend of rail systems historically and currently polluting Indigenous lands across the country as a way to exert colonial control.

History of Čhokáŋ Taŋka (Pigs Eye Park)

"Pigs Eye Park", or using its original Dakota name, Čhokáŋ Taŋka, is St. Paul's largest public park, with 404-acres of land, a 500-acre lake, several creeks and a heron rookery.

The area is also an important cultural site for the Dakota Nation Wicháhpi Oyáte (or Star Nation), since it is near the Bdóte (or river confluence) of the Mississippi River and Minnesota River which is considered the start of the Wicháhpi Oyáte creation story.

In an 1851 treaty, the Dakota people were forced to cede their land west of the Mississippi through deceptive settler negotiations. The surrounding area was quickly industrialized with the construction of the North Star Brewery. Soon after, the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad was built and rail operations began to expand. The outer atrium of a scared Dakota cave site, "Wakáŋ Tipi", was demolished to make way for these expanding operations, and the sewage and storm water were discharged through the cave. Nearby residential development also altered the area by filling in the natural wetlands. By the 1970s, Čhokáŋ Taŋka was surrounded by industry and being used by local residents as an illegal dumping site for waste.

Over the years, local residents have begun to advocate and care for Čhokáŋ Taŋka, the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, and other spaces. The tireless work of citizen activists and organizations like the Lower Phalen Creek Organization has helped restore this land.

Watercolor map of Pigs Eye Park, done by activist Kiki Sonnen

Site of the July 2021 diesel spill into Battle Creek

Overview of the Battle Creek Spill (July 2021)

Our case study focuses on a diesel fuel spill of between 360 and 720 gallons into Battle Creek on July 13, 2021. Battle Creek cuts through Čhokáŋ Taŋka, empties directly into Pig's Eye Lake, and eventually travels out to the Mississippi River.

Though Canadian Pacific did have officials clean the spill with oil booms, they never had a field biologist test the area for residual pollution. Additionally, it was only through the observation and report of local advocates for Pig's Eye Park that the city of St. Paul (and therefore media) was notified of the spill.

Only one month after the spill into Battle Creek, Canadian Pacific spilled an additional 1,200 gallons of diesel fuel less than 1,000 feet from the Mississippi River in St. Paul. These incidents only represent one small piece of railways' long history of environmental pollution.

Major Research Questions

As we use Čhokáŋ Taŋka as a case study for the complicated relationship between the environment, Indigenous sovereignty, and jurisdiction, it is clear that some issues extend far beyond the park itself. The broad questions include:

Is there a safe way to transport fuel? How are railroads / companies held accountable for breaking treaties or causing environmental harm? What is the relationship between rails and Indigenous lands and sovereignty? How could this relationship be improved or more just?

Questions specific to Čhokáŋ Taŋka include:

What role have railroads played in the pollution of Čhokáŋ Taŋka? Who is responsible - railways, governmental jurisdiction or someone else? Who is impacted by the pollution? How are Indigenous tribes and local activists fighting the pollution and by extension colonialism on the land? What work can be done to restore and invest in the land?

Pathways to Pollution: Final Podcast

In our podcast, we put together our analysis of the case study and our interview with Kiki Sonnen. We also consider the broader impact of railways across the U.S, both as drivers of pollution and as colonial control on indigenous lands.

We hope that listeners will learn how Čhokáŋ Taŋka is being intentionally ignored by the authorities that govern it, enabling industry to exploit the land, and how this is yet another example of how indigenous lands and peoples are marginalized for economic "profit" and industry.

In true pandemic fashion, this podcast was recorded over Zoom and edited remotely. We're super excited to share an overview of our research from the last few months, click the picture on the left to enjoy!

Want to visit Čhokáŋ Taŋka?

RESEARCHER PROFILES

Izzy G. (she/her)

Hi! I'm a senior Political Science major and Media and Cultural Studies minor. I'm from the suburbs of San Francisco, California. I'm interested in studying intersectionality, decolonization, and alternative futures. It's been so fun learning alongside Olivia, Marley, Troubled Waters classmates, and Professor Kiri!

Olivia F. (she/her)

Hello! I'm an undecided first year from Berkeley, CA! I'm interested in studying Environmental Studies and/or Biology, but am super excited to explore different fields as much as possible while at Macalester! I had so much fun working on this podcast with Marley and Izzy, and I'm excited to see where further research and projects on Pig's Eye Park go.

Marley K. (she/her)

Hi everyone! I'm a Geography and Environmental Studies double major with a focus in "Community and Global Health", Class of '22. I'm from Minneapolis, Minnesota and am really excited to learn more about an issue so close to home - especially because I wasn't familiar with Čhokáŋ Taŋka prior to this project!

LEARN MORE:

Bdóte Memory Map

Use this resource to learn more about the Bdóte, and the other important cultural sites around the Twin Cities. This is a great introductory resource for centering indigenous place names and their significance within your understanding of the Twin Cities!

Lower Phalen Creek Organization

A Native-led, East Side environmental organization working to reclaim sacred sites in East Saint Paul. Their work focuses primarily on the construction of a cultural center called the "Wakan Tipi Center" and restoration of the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, but they have also done important work within Čhokáŋ Taŋka.

Jarita's Work with Lower Phalen

For a comprehensive assessment of Čhokáŋ Taŋka and the many jurisdictions that govern it, check out our peer Jarita's incredible work with the Lower Phalen Creek Organization. Her work is very comprehensive, and is the reason that we discovered Čhokáŋ Taŋka!

"Pollution is Colonialism"

A fantastic book and resource we found through this course is Max Liboiron's "Pollution is Colonialism." Check it out to learn more about Indigeneity, race, environmental justice, and much more.

Works Cited

Andrew-Gee, Eric. (2020). The Railways got very wealthy on our land: How rail's colonial past made it a target for blockades. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-the-railways-got-very-wealthy-on-our-land-how-rails-colonial-past/

Bjorhus, Jennifer. (2019). Canadian Pacific derailment spills diesel fuel into Battle Creek. StarTribune. Retrieved from https://m.startribune.com/canadian-pacific-derailment-spills-diesel-fuel-into-battle-creek/504459302/

Bongiorno, Joe. (2020). Uncovered tracks: The bloody legacy of Canada's railways. Canada's National Observer. Retrieved from https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/12/21/opinion/bloody-legacy-canadas-railways-indigenous-peoples

Chen, Jarita. (2021). Catching Up with Chokan Tanka: What's Going on at Pig's Eye Regional Park? Lower Phalen Creek Project. Retrieved from https://www.lowerphalencreek.org/lpcp-blog/2021/10/5/catching-up-with-hok-taka-whats-going-on-at-pigs-eye-regional-park

“Lower Phalen Creek Project.” Lower Phalen Creek Project. Retrieved from https://www.lowerphalencreek.org/.

Melo, Frederick. “Canadian Pacific Railway Reports Hundreds of Gallons of Fuel Spilled near Battle Creek.” Twin Cities, Twin Cities, 20 July 2021. Retrieved from https://www.twincities.com/2021/07/19/canadian-pacific-railway-reports-hundreds-of-gallons-of-fuel-spilled-near-battle-creek/.

Melo, Frederick. (2021). Three-train crash spilled estimated 1,200 gallons of diesel fuel near Mississippi River in St. Paul. Pioneer Press. Retrieved from https://www.twincities.com/2021/08/27/three-train-crash-spilled-estimated-1200-gallons-of-diesel-fuel-near-mississippi-river-in-st-paul/

“Pierre ‘Pig's Eye’ Parrant - One of the First St. Paul Settlers.” Minnesota Fun Facts, 7 July 2010. Retrieved from https://www.minnesotafunfacts.com/st-paul-history/pierre-pigs-eye-parrant-one-of-the-first-st-paul-settlers/.

Pulido, Laura. (2016) ‘Flint Michigan, Environmental Racism and Racial Capitalism’ Capitalism Nature Socialism.” CRITICAL RACE LAB. Retrieved from https://criticalracelab.uoregon.edu/pulido-l-2016-flint-michigan-environmental-racism-and-racial-capitalism-capitalism-nature-socialism/.

"Railroad Deveopment in Minnesota, 1862-1956". (2005). United States Department of Interior: National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved from https://www.dot.state.mn.us/culturalresources/docs/rail/sectione.pdf

Vezner, Ted. (2018). Locomotive derailment sends 3200 gallons of diesel fuel into Mississippi River. Pioneer Press. Retrieved from https://www.twincities.com/2018/08/08/st-paul-train-derailment-sends-3200-gallons-of-diesel-fuel-into-mississippi-river/

Vong, Sam. June 3. “The Impact of the Transcontinental Railroad on Native Americans.” National Museum of American History, 29 Nov. 2021. Retrieved from https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/TRR.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Kiki and Tom for their willingness to share their knowledge and show us around the park!

Thank you, Kiri, for all your support, understanding, and for accompanying us on the trip to the park!

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