As Minneapolis officials prepare to shut down a popular off-leash dog park to protect what they describe as “sacred” Dakota land, an elected Twin Cities school board member has proposed a new site for dogs to do their business.
White Christian cemeteries
Chauntyll Allen, a St. Paul school board member and co-founder of Black Lives Matter Twin Cities, suggested in a Facebook post that “White Christian cemeteries” should be converted into dog parks so dogs could “piss on the white corpses.”
Allen’s comments were made during an increasingly contentious battle over the future of the Minnehaha Off-Leash Dog Park, which city officials voted to close by the end of the year.
Off-leash dog park debate
Last week, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board voted 8-1 to close the popular dog park, ending more than three decades of off-leash access along the Mississippi River.
Board members cited concerns that the site is located within the Mni Owe Sni (Coldwater Spring) Traditional Cultural Place, an area considered sacred by Dakota tribes, who claim it contains unmarked graves connected to the aftermath of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.
Yet despite references to burial sites, ancestral remains, and sacred ground, Minneapolis officials have never publicly produced documentation confirming the presence of human remains within the six-acre off-leash dog park itself.
Alpha News previously asked all nine Minneapolis Park Board commissioners whether the board possesses verifiable proof of burial sites within the current dog park boundaries. None responded.
Cities Church invasion
Allen’s latest remarks are the newest chapter in a growing list of controversies surrounding the St. Paul school board member.
She is currently facing federal felony charges in connection with the Jan. 18 invasion of Cities Church in St. Paul.
Federal prosecutors allege Allen was part of an anti-ICE mob that stormed the church during a Sunday worship service, causing chaos inside the sanctuary and sending congregants, including children, scrambling for safety.
According to court documents, one woman suffered a broken arm while attempting to leave.
Authorities further allege that members of the group blocked access to a stairway leading to the church’s childcare area.
Allen has defended her conduct, saying she believed “that’s what needed to be done to get the message across.”
Despite the pending federal charges, St. Paul Public Schools publicly celebrated Allen as a “Black Woman of Impact” during Women’s History Month in March.
Alpha News reached out to St. Paul Public Schools for comment regarding Allen’s Facebook post.
A spokesperson responded: “The district has been made aware of this social media post and does not have further comment.”
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
