From Deseret News archives:
'Squaw' still Utah moniker
Other states renaming geographic locations
In 2008 alone, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names has renamed 22 geographic features to eliminate the word "squaw" from locations throughout Arizona, Maine, Montana, South Dakota and Washington. The board's actions effectively approve revision of federal maps and documents to reflect the areas' new names.
The term squaw is considered highly offensive by many American Indians.
"That's an insult," said Ed Naranjo, vice chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation at Ibapah, of the word. "It's like cussing someone out or calling them a name."
Administrative assistant Jennifer Runyon said the board is slated to review five more name-change proposals in South Dakota at its next meeting June 12.
If the board moves to scrub the word squaw from the names of those South Dakota locations, it will be the highest number of approvals the board has given to eradicate the controversial term in recent history. The board approved 12 proposals in 2006 and 22 in 2007 to blot out the word.
But while squaw is being edited out of names of geographic sites across the
Members of the Utah Committee on Geographic Names a state organization that reviews and recommends name changes to the federal board have heard people express a desire to brush the word squaw off the maps, executive secretary Susan Whetstone said, but no formal proposals have been submitted yet.
"It's kind of a two-sided coin," Whetstone said of the word. "Some tribes don't necessarily regard it as derogatory."
Some linguists say squaw is a corruption of a Algonquian word that merely means woman. But a competing claim asserts that squaw actually comes from the Mohawk word "ojiskwa" a derogatory term referring to female genitalia.
Naranjo said he's surprised to hear the word squaw is connected to so many locations throughout the state, and he thinks it's time to purge it from Utah maps.
"I don't think a non-Indian person would appreciate something derogatory named after them," he said. "We need to let the tribes be aware of this and push the state to change those names."
Recent comments
I understant that squaw means young native american lady.What's wrong...
Dean | Aug. 21, 2008 at 1:18 p.m.
Well, Well, its always good to read honest and enlightening comments...
Full blood Native American-Utahn | May 14, 2008 at 9:14 a.m.
As a native americian origionally from back east it never occured to...
Native American | May 12, 2008 at 11:40 p.m.
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