California officials are taking action to eliminate a derogatory term aimed at Native American women from over 30 sites across the state, as reported by the Natural Resources Agency.
In 2021, the Secretary of the Interior identified the term “squaw” as derogatory, leading to its removal as part of AB 2022, a bill that was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2022. The legislation mandates the elimination of “all geographic features and place names in the state” by January 1, 2025.
“This term is acknowledged as a derogatory slur that targets individuals based on their race, ethnicity, and gender, with a specific focus on Native American women.” Officials emphasized that eliminating it is an essential move towards acknowledging the persistent trauma and oppression experienced by Native communities.
The agency took to social media to characterize the action as a “courageous new stride towards reconciliation for historical wrongs.”
The complete list of newly chosen names for California is not yet accessible, but according to an email from the natural resources agency to The Associated Press, it has been curated with input from the state’s Native American tribes and will be unveiled soon.
Geneva Thompson, the Deputy Secretary for Tribal Affairs at the Natural Resource Agency, emphasized that this is a crucial advancement for Indigenous communities.
The California Advisory Committee on Geographic Names has announced that they will put into effect the approved replacement names by January 1.