Guest Opinion. The Trump administration recently disbanded the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names, an important task force created by former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to remove racist names of over 600 geological locations around Turtle Island.
Changing offensive and discriminatory place names is part of the struggle for the civil rights of Native peoples. This work helps honor our true collective history and addresses racism and colonialism.
Thanks to grassroots mobilizations, members of Congress introduced legislation to reinstate this committee and resume its urgent work of renaming.
The first Native to serve in a presidential cabinet, Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) replaced 650 place names that had previously contained a racist slur against Indigenous women -- instead using the original Indigenous names.
To expand this work, Haaland created the Department of the Interior’s Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names, which identified over 1,500 additional discriminatory place names to remove -- including place names that honored people who massacred Native communities or enslaved Black people.
In a mark of disrespect and an attack on our sovereignty, the Trump administration disbanded this task force. On his first day of office, Trump also took away the traditional Indigenous name of Turtle Island’s highest mountain (Denali). His action reinforced the inaccurate history that sought to erase Native history and the true history of the root causes of how we found ourselves in this chaotic moment.
Our movement has pushed for legislation to mark the landmark of the policies that emerge when Native people are represented in every level of government. Take action to protect the former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s legacy and continue the work of repairing the damage of systemic racism which runs through our collective history.
As part of the Coalition for Outdoor Renaming and Education (CORE), we worked with lawmakers to introduce and reintroduce the Reconciliation in Place Names Act. This policy would systematize the urgent work of renaming racist, and derogatory place names -- creating another Advisory Committee and protecting it from the whims of presidential administrations.
Jennifer Fairbanks (Red Lake Nation), Native Organizers Alliance staffer and CORE leader, said: “Reintroducing and passing the Reconciliation in Place Names Act will be a vital step toward healing historical wounds and honoring this land's history and its original stewards.”
Judith LeBlanc (Caddo), executive director of Native Organizers Alliance Action Fund, whixh is a partner to Native Organizers Alliance.
More Stories Like This
“No Kings” Rallies Across America: This What Democracy Looks Like to MeLeading the Way in Rare Disease Advocacy
For Native Communities, Medicaid Is a Promise Washington Must Keep
“One Beautiful Bill” Would Be a Tragic Setback for Indian Country
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
