The U.S. has renamed 650 locations nationwide—discover why this is significant

Almost 650 rivers, mountains, and other geographical features have been renamed as part of a government initiative to eliminate a racist and misogynistic term for Indigenous women.

The initiative to remove the term 'squaw'—considered offensive by many Native Americans—from federal lands was initiated by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in November 2021, marking a significant step led by the first Indigenous cabinet member, and concluded in early September 2022.

“I feel a profound duty to utilize my position to make our public lands and waters welcoming and inclusive,” stated Secretary Haaland in a press release. “This begins with eliminating names that have perpetuated racism and derogatory sentiments on federal properties for far too long.”

An updated list of new names and an interactive map have been released on the Interior Department’s website, showcasing a collaborative effort by the Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force, which included 13 representatives from various government agencies such as the National Park Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Throughout the process, the Task Force received thousands of suggestions from local communities and nearly 70 tribal governments before finalizing the new names.

Most of the newly renamed sites are found in the western U.S. (with 66 in Arizona and another 70 in California). Some new names are simple, like East Lake in Wisconsin and Sheep Meadow in Idaho, while others reflect historical events, such as Olympic Valley in California, named for the 1960 Winter Olympic Games. Additionally, some sites now bear names from local tribal languages or honor significant Indigenous figures, like Mestaa’ėhehe Mountain in Colorado, which pays tribute to Owl Woman of the Cheyenne.

Renaming federal sites typically occurs on a case-by-case basis, but this is not the first major revision—the Interior Department previously changed several place names in 1962 to eliminate derogatory terms for Black individuals and again in 1974 to remove offensive names related to Japanese individuals.

In the future, the department will collaborate with the newly established Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names to identify additional natural features with offensive names or those named after individuals with problematic histories (such as Mount Evans, named for former Colorado Territorial Governor John Evans, who was involved in the murder of Indigenous people) and gather suggestions for replacement names.

“The lands and waters of our nation should be spaces for celebrating the outdoors and our collective cultural heritage, rather than venues for upholding the remnants of oppression,” stated Secretary Haaland.