- Details
- By Jenna Kunze
The Department of the Interior is seeking public comment on proposed name changes for the more than 660 geographic places on federal lands that use a Native American slur, the Department announced on Tuesday.
Under the leadership of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo), the word “squaw” was officially declared a derogatory term last November. The Department of the Interior then enacted procedures to remove the term from federal usage.
A list of five candidate names for each geographic feature was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, as directed by Haaland’s official order. Proposed additional candidate names will also be accepted during the public comment period, or for the next 30 days.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
The Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force, formed by the Secretary, will ultimately recommend replacements to each of the more than 660 areas that require a name change.
The public can weigh in on each proposed name change. Five alternative replacement names were derived for each location using nearby geographic features. For example, the first name on the list in Alabama, “Squaw Shoals,” has a suggested replacement name of “Bankhead Lake.”
Proposed additional names will also be accepted during the public comment period.
To comment on the candidate names, visit the Federal Register notice for more information.
More Stories Like This
Tribal Business News Round Up: Sept. 26A Year Later, Myron Dewey’s Family Waits for Justice
Two National Native American Organizations to Address International Trade for Indian Country at World Trade Organization Forum in Geneva
Native News Weekly (September 25, 2022): D.C. Briefs
Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola Hits the Ground Running: Her First Bill Introduced Clears Committee Two Days Later
Do you appreciate a Native perspective on the news?
For the past decade-plus, we’ve covered the important Indigenous stories that are often overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the toppling of colonizer statues during the racial equity protests, to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools, we have been there to provide a Native perspective and elevate Native voices.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation this month to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps us remain a force for change in Indian Country and continue telling the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked. Most often, our donors make a one-time gift of $20 or more, while many choose to make a recurring monthly donation of $5 or $10. Whatever you can do, it helps fund our Indigenous-led newsroom and our ability to cover Native news.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.
