East Lansing’s largest municipal park has a new name as a tribute to the Indigenous people who live in mid-Michigan.
On Indigenous People’s Day, Abbot Road Park officially became Azaadiikaa Park.
The name in Anishinaabemowin refers to the large cottonwood trees found in abundance there.
Shay Sandoval-Flores serves on the park re-naming committee.
She traces her lineage to Ojibway, Seminole and Choctaw tribes.
“We’re very much Earth-nature people. We give respect to every element of nature,” Sandoval-Flores said. “So, when you come here, just be respectful of the park. Treat it as you would your own home, your own backyard.”
Sandoval-Flores says she considers the park her home.
“My ancestors were here. They may have gathered here. They may have fellowshipped here. They may have even had a powwow many years ago,” she said. “So now, I’m back at the spot that they were here, and I’m just kind of reliving the memories but also keeping the hope alive for future generations.”
The event ended with traditional music and a tree planting ritual involving a few dozen people who’d come to witness the re-naming ceremony.
Indigenous People’s Day was formally recognized as a U.S. federal holiday in 2021.