American Indians applaud the decision to remove the trail in Indian Mounds Regional Park, while many neighbors are upset

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — To Crystal Norcross, Indian Mounds Park in St. Paul isn't a park. It's a cemetery.

"I always came here, just because I felt tied to it," Norcross said.

The six burial mounds in the park that are fenced off are the prehistoric resting places of generations up to 2,000 years old.

And alongside them runs a walking trail atop Dayton's Bluff used every day by hundreds of people.

Because it's dangerously close to the river bluff, the city decided the trail needed to be rebuilt and redirected.

The question became, how to rebuild it?

At first the city was just going to pull back the trail from the bluff, but has now decided to remove it without replacing it because of artifacts detected below the ground by radar.

"I always thought there was a possibility of that," Norcross said.

Other American Indians like Maggie Lorenz applaud the decision.

"I think the most important thing is none of this should have been here in the first place," Lorenz said.

"I think they should keep it," said one man walking along the trail on Sunday.

Several neighbors who use the trail every day are upset.

"Neighborhoods like ours, people need beautiful trails to walk on, and I really believe that the city could broker a solution that preserves the bluff trail and also respects the native American history of the park," said Ann, who lives nearby.

There is a bike path on the other side of the mounds that walkers can share with them.

"It's going to be dangerous," Ann said.

But with a city holding a meeting on the issue Monday night, both sides are bracing for a potentially contentious discussion.

"I think we can talk about things and really engage conversation once we get over emotions," Norcross said.