by Justin Darden

A local community group, along with supporters, celebrated a major victory after efforts and protests involving convincing the city parks and recreation board to change the name of a Nashville park was achieved in a city board meeting on December 3.

The Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation Board voted to rename Cumberland Park, located in Downtown Nashville, to Wasioto Park. The park, located along the East Bank of the Cumberland River, is where the Shawnee Tribe hunted and traded along the river in the 1600s. The effort to rename Cumberland Park was originally started in September 2024 when the Indigenous Peoples Coalition of Nashville had organized a demonstration to call on the Metro Parks Board to rename Cumberland Park to Wasioto Park. After the demonstration, the Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation Board held a comment period to seek input from the community on the name change from September 6-October 6. Then, the Metro Parks and Recreation Board held a community meeting on September 25 to get feedback from community members and residents on the renaming of Cumberland Park. According to a press release, there was no opposition to the name change.

The Indigenous Peoples Coalition of Nashville held a celebration party at the Cumberland Park Amphitheater on October 12 to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day. The coalition honored the history and contributions of indigenous people, both locally and nationally. It also included updating the public on the efforts to change the name of Cumberland Park. There were protests objecting to the delay of the renaming of Cumberland Park resulting in Parks and Recreation holding a meeting on November 5. According to the press release, community input was already registered and there was no legal basis for the input. The press release also stated that Indigenous Peoples Coalition Chairperson Albert Bender, wrote a letter to Metro Parks Director Monique Odom addressing the delay of the name change. Bender said in the letter that the process to rename Cumberland Park was different from the procedure to rename Hadley Park and that the delay violated administrative laws.

A press conference was held on December 3 in front of the headquarters for the Metro Parks and Recreation Department by the Indigenous Peoples Coalition. They called on the Metro Parks and Recreation Board to change the name of Cumberland Park. The Metro Parks and Recreation Board then held two meetings on the name change. After weeks of protests and demonstrations, the Metro Nashville Parks Board voted to officially change the name of Cumberland Park to Wasioto Park.

The name change of the park was received with joyous celebration from the Indigenous Peoples Coalition. Bender called the vote a milestone victory in the history of Nashville. Loraine Segovia-Paz, executive director of the Nashville Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, said the official name change to Wasioto Park was an exciting day in telling the story of Indigenous people in Nashville.

 “The Nashville community’s dedication to honoring and respecting the ancestral and contemporary history, heritage, and presence of Indigenous communities is reflected in the Metro Parks Board’s decision,” said Segovia-Paz. “This action serves as a powerful example, inspiring others to follow Nashville’s lead in celebrating Indigenous cultures.”

Wasioto Park, according to the <Nashville.gov> website, is an exciting new attraction along Nashville’s riverfront. The park is a play space for children and families incorporating unique play structures and water features. Wasioto Park is part of the larger Riverfront Revitalization Plan, which includes the Bridge Building and development of The Lawn, an open space for recreation and events.