(Map courtesy U.S Geological Survey)
WASHINGTON (KFGO) – The U.S. Department of the Interior has removed a derogatory word from the names of nearly 650 places on federal lands, including five sites in North Dakota.
The name change is a historic effort started by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland after she declared the word “squaw,” a derogatory term that historically has been used as an offensive ethnic, racial and sexist slur, particularly for Indigenous women.
The five North Dakota sites are in Hettinger, Dunn, McKenzie, and Bottineau Counties which had names that included the word “squaw.” The names are posted below:
(NEW) (PREVIOUS)
Tepee Creek Squaw Creek Stream – Hettinger County, North Dakota
Sakakawea Creek Squaw Creek Stream Dunn County-McKenzie County North Dakota
Sakakawea Bay Squaw Creek Bay Dunn County. North Dakota
Long Creek Squaw Creek McKenzie County, North Dakota
Mitigomizh Neyaashi Squaw Point Bottineau County, North Dakota
Another location, Squaw Gap, an unincorporated community in McKenzie County along the Montana border, was also among the recommendations for a name change by the task force involved in the nearly year-long project but it is not listed on the final replacement list.
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