U.S. Will Rename 660 Mountains, Rivers and More to Remove Racist Word
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) proposed a list of new names for more than 660 geographic features across the country last month, the agency announced in a statement .
Led by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland , the first Native American to serve as cabinet secretary, the February 2022 release of the list marks the next step in a sweeping plan to remove the racist and misogynist slur “squaw” from the national geographic landscape. Hundreds of U.S. geographic sites, including mountains, rivers, lakes, remote islands and more, currently are named using the word, report Neil Vigdor and Christine Hauser for the New York Times .
“Words matter, particularly in our work to make our nation’s public lands and waters accessible and welcoming to people of all backgrounds,” said Haaland, per the statement.
“Consideration of these replacements is a big step forward in our efforts to remove derogatory terms whose expiration dates are long overdue,” added the secretary, who is a member of the Pueblo of the Laguna and a 35th-generation New Mexican.
Haaland first announced a secretarial order to remove the offensive phrase from federal lands in November 2021. She created a 13-member Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force, composed of members from the National Park Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and several other government agencies, which she then tasked with surveying federal sites and generating new name alternatives, as Melissa Montalvo reports for the Fresno Bee .
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Orange dots across the United States represent some of the more than 600 place names that will soon change under new guidelines. Visitors can access this map and more information about all proposed name changes by clicking this link . U.S. Department of the Interior At the time, the secretary also officially declared “squaw” a derogatory term and directed the task force to replace the word with “sq_ _ _” in all official communications, as Rina Torchinsky reports for NPR .
Now, task force members are soliciting feedback on proposed name changes from Native American tribes and members of the public throughout the country. Those who wish to see the proposed name changes can view the full list online and submit feedback or mail comments through April 25. The task force will submit chosen names for final approval from the Board on Geographic Names, the federal body that standardizes American place names, per the New York Times .
At least five candidate replacement names ere chosen for each geographic site. Names were picked based on nearby features—for instance, if “Castle Creek” was the closest named feature to a place called “Squaw Mesa,” the first proposed name might be “Castle Mesa,” reports the Fresno Bee .
Some states, including Maine and Oregon, have already banned the word from place names, as Susan Montoya Bryan reported for the Associated Press last fall. And this month, lawmakers in California proposed their own state legislation that would replace all uses of the word in place names and geographic features, with a deadline of January 1, 2024, as Lila Seidman reports for the Los Angeles Times .
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Dorothea Lange, Upper end of [Sq_ _ _] Creek Valley near the mill, showing timber resources, Gem County, Idaho, October 1939 Library of Congress James C. Ramos, the first and only Indigenous member of the state Legislature, told the newspaper that the phrase, which is sometimes called the “S-word,” should be retired.
“There should be no reason why there shouldn’t be support to change the S-word, that is so degrading to Native American women, in the year 2022,” Ramos told the Los Angeles Times .
Also speaking with the Los Angeles Times, ACLU advocate Tedde Simon noted that slurs such as these both “perpetuate and allow for violence” against Indigenous women, which is an ongoing crisis in the U.S. Eighty-four percent of Indigenous women experience some form of violence during their lifetimes, as Brandi Morin reported for National Geographic this week.
Last December, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) approved a move to change the name of change Sq_ _ _ Mountain, a peak in Clear Creek County, Colorado, to Mestaa’ėhehe Mountain. The word means “owl woman” in Cheyenne, and is the name of a famous 19th-century Cheyenne female leader. The name change was brought about by the Mestaa’ėhehe Coalition, a group of local tribal leaders, as Clarissa Guy reported for Rocky Mountain PBS .
Now, the Mestaa’ėhehe Coalition is pushing for another high-profle change: to retire the name of Mount Evans, one of the Rocky Mountain’s best-known peaks, ascending more that 14,000 feet above sea level—one of the more than 50 that are known as “14ers.” Its namesake is the former territorial governor of Colorado, John Evans, whose proclamation on August 11, 1864, led directly to the brutal Sand Creek Massacre. Volunteer cavalrymen killed an estimated 230 innocent Cheyenne and Arapaho people, including women, children and elders.
These efforts, with the recent DOI initiative, are just some of the ways that communities across the country are reexamining the racist language and tropes related to Indigenous people that feature in their place names, team names, monuments and more. For instance, the dairy company Land O’Lakes retired Mia , an Indigenous woman that once graced its well-known logo, in April 2020. And sports franchises including the Cleveland baseball team and the Washington, D.C. football team have rebranded to remove offensive references to Indigenous people from their names and logos.
In a report published earlier this year, the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers summarized helpful guidelines for those organizations and governments considering their own name changes, according to the Times.
“Contrary to some popular rhetoric, renaming racially insensitive or otherwise inappropriately named geographic features or land units is not ‘canceling history,’” the association wrote. “Rather, it is an opportunity to provide a more honest accounting of America’s past and a gesture toward healing historic wounds.”
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Haaland first announced a secretarial order to remove the offensive phrase from federal lands in November 2021. She created a 13-member Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force, composed of members from the National Park Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and several other government agencies, which she then tasked with surveying federal sites and generating new name alternatives, as Melissa Montalvo reports for the Fresno Bee .
That's how you get it done.
Excellent.
Hey Kav - my family's former summer stomping ground along Little Squaw Creek (Colorado) is getting a name makeover, as well. Finally!
That is good news, Sister.
Good...
I am shocked. For once Mississippi is above the fray.
'Course, you realize that the majority of the names of towns/places in MS/AL/LA/GA are Indian names - not much to think 'bout changing on that realm.
There is a legend down here about Singing River (Pascagoula River).
Sometimes you can actually hear the river 'sing'.
You have GOT TO read Michael Gear's First Native American books - specifically "Coming of the Storm", "Fire the Sky" and "A Searing Wind" - all dealing with the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Biloxi, Natchez, Cherokee, Pascagoula, Yazoo, and that "marriage" is mentioned.
Are they calling this the "don't saw squaw" secretarial order?
No.
Simply a good decision because it is simply the right thing to do. Hard to imagine how any one could argue otherwise, unless simply to argue.
That or they are bagwanawaadizi moosh nooshes. When translated from Anishinaabe is ''ignorant dumb asses''. Some on NT are perfect examples of that.
Agreed.
And as an aside, your language is beautiful to the ear. Thank you for the translation.
Miigwech (thank you)
OMG! LMFAO! Good job Kavika. I'll be laughing for the next 15 minutes at least.
You can hear his language? That is one powerful computer/smartphone you have there.
Virtue signaling at it's finest. Who in the hell sits around LOOKING for stuff like this? And why erase history?
Jim - when you "read" the Anishinaabe/Ojibwa languages, you can see how well the words flow and your mind imagines a gently creek/river moving down/across the hillsides.
Donno - ask the conquerors 'cause they sure didn't write it right.
Erase history???? Whose Jim? The Natives lived with the names of the locations for THOUSANDS of years and then the "conquerors" decided that they couldn't pronounce the words, so they changed the names to suit their egos/tongues?
What is the issue of listening to/learning 'bout the Native American histories from THEIR viewpoint - and not Jefferson's/Jackson's/Roosevelt's/Grant's/Washington's/etc. idiotic "I won and this is how it went." mentality?
OK, let's go another way - you're in NC - the Coharie, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the Haliwa-Saponi, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, the Meherrin, the Sappony, the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation and the Waccamaw Siouan tribes have been there for a ton more years than dominant society and most of the locations in NC WERE Native American names. "Think/remember" what you know 'bout the Eno Occaneechi/Saponi tribes? How 'bout the Lumbee? How 'bout the Coharie? How 'bout the Yamasee tribe who were totally displaced by the Heroic Spanish Conquerors between 1522 through 1526 and taken to the Virgin Islands as (gasp) SLAVES for the Spanish plantations/sugar farms.
It's amazing, but almost ALL of their languages/culture/heritage/history has been rewritten by the "Conquerors" in their bungling attempts to "erase history".
So, maybe that just goes to show why the histories of Europe, the U.S., Middle East, Africa, Asian countries is so futched up - the "true/real" history isn't shown - but only from the conquerors point of view.
Okay. Guess I just don't share your insight due to the fact that I have no history of knowing how to pronounce any of it except moosh noosh. Thank you.
People that feel a need to be offended. Unfortunately it is a requirement of joining the woke brigade.
RDTC - believe you need to rethink what you wrote and think long and hard 'bout the comment you made and what it implies - SPECIFICALLY on this topic..
Well, I'm Chickasaw and our words don't sound anywhere near as pleasing.
I get your point. I just am insensitive I guess to how naming things with squaw in them is offensive. If it were not something of beauty such as the many many ones of these, I could see it better I guess.
Thanks for your insight.
I've always thought it better to be part of the ''woke brigade'' than part of the ''comatose brigade'' but that is just from someone that understands what the word means/implies.
Well, you do know the history of the term "squaw/redskin", right? I'm quite sure you wouldn't call Mrs. JJNCTttH a whore, would you? I can just see how that would go - "Folks, I'd like you to meet my whore Susan - been my squaw for 'bout 35 year."
I would then ask when your funeral is.
Nor would I see you walking around with the skin of an Indian wrapped 'round your shoulders as a prize and telling everyone just how poor a fighter the Indian wuz ('course, he didn't have a gun such as yours - just a knife) but it's your "redskin" now - go kill your own.
That was effing beautiful!
Well, being an Indian woman, I would give someone a mouth full if I got called a squ*w. How would you feel if someone called your wife a whore because that is basically what it means?
No. "People" don't want to call places that were theirs, nasty words in their language, because some other "people," thought it was amusing.
No one has to be "woke" to see when they are being offended.
I did not know that.................
Thank you both. I didn't know that and NOW I totally understand. Holy crap my apologies for my seemingly heartless commentary.
Again, thanks!!
No, thanks to you Jim - you're asking and learning - great.
Alrighty - let's get a more humorous look at what type of impact not using the correct/real/true meaning of a word means -
Sorry - someone threw that on my FaceBook page a few minutes ago - just couldn't resist going "off-topic".
Flag me if you must.
Might I suggest that a fist-full of no limit credit cards accompany the aforementioned, "You're next, chubby"...
And the additional comment of "Ya want yer funeral tonight or tomorrow morning?"
Don't these locations have names in indigenous languages? Seems like this effort is only intended to highlight grievances and stoke controversy.
Yes, the places do have names in indigenous languages - Pontiac, Detroit, Tupelo, Memphis (Chickasaw for joining rivers) - those are not offensive - but, the Conqueror's version of Squaw Valley?? - ask the Ute/Piute/Shoshone and their name choices should be chosen such - as an example, "Last December, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) approved a move to change the name of change Sq_ _ _ Mountain, a peak in Clear Creek County, Colorado, to Mestaa’ėhehe Mountain. The word means “owl woman” in Cheyenne, and is the name of a famous 19th-century Cheyenne female leader. The name change was brought about by the Mestaa’ėhehe Coalition, a group of local tribal leaders."
The tribes/nations are being involved very heavily in the renaming process. Read the thread and the links - you'll learn more.
The example provided in the seed article explains that 'Squaw Mesa' is being renamed 'Castle Mesa'. Why not rename 'Squaw Mesa' with the place name in the indigenous language? Or is 'Castle Mesa' the name of the place in an indigenous language?
Now, task force members are soliciting feedback on proposed name changes from Native American tribes and members of the public throughout the country. Those who wish to see the proposed name changes can view the full list online and submit feedback or mail comments through April 25. The task force will submit chosen names for final approval from the Board on Geographic Names, the federal body that standardizes American place names, per the New York Times .
At least five candidate replacement names ere chosen for each geographic site. Names were picked based on nearby features—for instance, if “Castle Creek” was the closest named feature to a place called “Squaw Mesa,” the first proposed name might be “Castle Mesa ,” reports the Fresno Bee .
Seriously Nerm - you need to read each word in context to its content to the thread for fuller understanding.
The names have not been selected. The Board is simply asking for feedback/comments (as is required for all Fed rulemaking) to be submitted to them by 4/25. "Castle Mesa" is simply an "example" being given as to "what might occur."
You live in Minnesota so you should be aware of this.
In 1995, Minnesota made it illegal to have a “squaw” placename, this applied to geographical features, not towns.
BTW, Minnesota is an Indigenous name, Lakota to be exact as are the Mississippi River and numerous towns/cities/villages throughout the state.
I suppose that would be true in people with a closed mind, bigots, or the totally uninformed.
So many places in the United States have Native American names. PA is full of them. Susquehanna comes to mind...a river, a valley, and a county.
Half the states have NA names as well, Trout.
Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennesse, The Dakatos, Wyoming?, Minnesota....I can't name them all
That cracked me up.
Thanks for that. It was very informative
Minnesota has been the ''Land of 10,000 lakes, or the Land of sky blue water, the name Minnesota actually means ''cloudy or muddy water''....LOST IN TRANSLATION...LOLOLOL.
I was told a cool fact today...Minnesota has the most registered boats, Arkansas is second. We have a lot of lakes, too
I know, I've fished a couple of them.
“…and stoke controversy.”
Read the comments above from those that know. We are lucky to have their expertise when disseminating fact from controversy.
‘Controversy’ that seems to fit an all too familiar narrative…and always from the usual subjects only so willing to cling to a white-washed, unyielding, and ultimately immovable point of view.
Again, do tell how is this a bad thing?
I'm not saying this is a bad thing. What I am saying is that Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is taking the dumfuck approach.
A place name like 'Squaw Mesa' at least suggests a connection to a local Indian population. Renaming 'Squaw Mesa' to 'Castle Mesa' removes that connection. A name like 'Castle Mesa' completely removes the American Indian from the landscape.
Doesn't 'Squaw Mesa' have a name in an indigenous language? Using a place name in an indigenous language keeps the American Indian on the landscape.
“A place name like 'Squaw Mesa' at least suggests a connection to a local Indian population.”
No nerm, at worst it suggests a connection.
And that is the long overdue and appropriate reasoning behind the decision. Grouse away at the new name or names, but never for a second think ‘squaw’ in anyway properly
“ … keeps the American Indian on the landscape.”
Using that phrase alone shows just how out of touch you are on this subject.
I agree. I'm not grousing about removing 'squaw' from the map. Just don't remove the American Indian from the map.
The Biden administration has simply screwed it up again just to pander to minority grievances. The focus is only on those disparaging names. Ain't Deb Haaland so woke? But don't try to kid anyone that what Haaland is doing represents some kind of progress. None of this celebrates the American Indian.
“…just to pander to minority grievances.”
If that is your take, so be it…(the ‘woke’ reference does little to bolster your contention by the way)
Others think this less pandering but finally listening and on that rare governmental occasion, doing the right thing.
"dumfuck" - " Deb Haaland so woke? But don't try to kid anyone that what Haaland is doing represents some kind of progress."
Do you even know who Deb Haaland is??? Deb Haaland is a Native American and an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe.
Don't think "dumfuck" would be an apt description. I worked with her a few times when I was assigned to Kirtland AFB as the AF Western Regional Office for Tribal Liaison and Government Consultations for the Western U.S. and Pacific areas. She is extremely far from being a "dumfuck" and I respect her highly.
Who is removing American Indians from the map? What is being removed is a racist/ignorant word.
Wow, that is one ignorant comment even for you. It wasn't meant to celebrate, it was meant to remove a racist/ignorant word. Ignorant people would call it pandering to minority grievances but those with an IQ above room temperature recognize it for what it is.
Are you aware of how many Indian names the state of Minnesota has, or are you aware of anything thing of the history of NA past and present in Minnesota? It would seem from your comment it's an area in which you are sadly lacking
Get out of your bubble and take a trip down to ''Little Earth'', it's right there in Minneapolis you certainly could use the exposure to things outside of your tiny world. Or better yet take a trip to Franklin Ave in Minneapolis and to the Minneapolis American Indian Culture Center and the blocks of culture/art/food of the original people of Minnesota.
It would also seem that you have no idea who Deb Haaland is. FYI, she is a 35th generation New Mexican, an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo, which means she is Native American. That's for starters, if you'd like more info on her you can goggle it.
Morning...
I was more than pleased when Uluru was returned to the original custodians of the Land and renamed from Ayres rock...
No one is allowed to climb up it anymore and all traces of tourists including those that fell off it have been removed..
It is now in very safe hands as it should be..
When I was at Uluru it was raining and climbing was still allowed. An interesting situation took place, my wife asked me if I was going to climb Uluru, I told her no that wasn't possible for me to do because of the history of Uluru and the indigenous people. A few people heard me, none were indigenous, and started asking me some questions. Not being Koori I didn't want to try to explain to them what it stands for with the Indigenous people of Australia. There were a few indigenous people in a silent protest of climbing of Uluru. I took the group over to them and asked them to listen to the true guardians of the land. An amazing thing took place after listening to them the group, six or eight people said that they would not be climbing Uluru.
It was for me, a beautiful moment and I'm sure that it meant much more to the Indigenous people there.
Small victories can be a forever moment. One does not need to climb Uluru to be overwhelmed by its beauty and the spiritual feeling that is present.
Very true Kavika...I for one would not have climbed it either knowing what it means to the Koori people...
Walk around it yes and admire from afar..no need to trample over it...
They have had buckets of rain in the Territory and Uluru has shown her many faces of beauty...waterfalls cascading down the sides...for many a once in a life time event...
We did see the waterfalls there had been a heavy rain a day or two before we got there, it was magnificent a once-in-a-lifetime vision.