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Process begins to replace Hiawatha statue
Nearly two weeks after the Hiawatha statue was taken out of Riverside Park, La Crosse city leaders are working on plans for what might be put in its place.
One obstacle that could complicate the process is the site’s closeness to the Mississippi and La Crosse Rivers, because the statue was in a floodplain.
City park director Jay Odegaard tells the park board that alternate locations for a new work of art could be chosen.
The board will take up to six months to work on a process for approving new artworks for the riverfront.
Hiawatha, which had stood since 1961, was taken down just last week, after years of complaints that it inaccurately portrayed native tribes in the region.
Odegaard points out that there are more legal and environmental hurdles to installing artworks now than there were when Hiawatha went up.
The report is expected to be brought to the park board by February.