Interior Dept Announces Removal Of Algonquin Word For “Woman” Now Deemed Forbidden In Arizona

Less than a year ago, in November, 2021, the U.S. Department of the Interior under the leadership of Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, declared squaw to be a derogatory and racist term and began formally removing the term from use on the federal level.

Now, the removal process has begun.

According to the Department of the Interior, “the Board on Geographic Names has voted on the final replacement names for nearly 650 geographic features featuring the word sq___, including 65 in Arizona.”

The final vote completes the last step in rewriting history and remove the term that originated in the Algonquin language meaning “woman.”

The Department was silent on whether or not the word “woman” will be removed completely from the English language.

“I feel a deep obligation to use my platform to ensure that our public lands and waters are accessible and welcoming. That starts with removing racist and derogatory names that have graced federal locations for far too long,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “I am grateful to the members of the Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force and the Board on Geographic Names for their efforts to prioritize this important work. Together, we are showing why representation matters and charting a path for an inclusive America.”

“The final vote reflects a months-long effort by the Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force established by Secretary’s Order 3404, which included representatives from the Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, National Park Service, Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, and the U.S. Geological Survey and the Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service,” the Department explained.

The renaming effort included “evaluation of multiple public or Tribal recommendations for the same feature; features that cross Tribal, federal and state jurisdictions; inconsistent spelling of certain Native language names; and reconciling diverse opinions from various proponents.”

Secretary’s Order 3404 and the Task Force considered only the sq___ derogatory term in its scope. Secretary’s Order 3405 created a Federal Advisory Committee for the Department to formally receive advice from the public regarding additional derogatory terms, derogatory terms on federal land units, and the process for derogatory name reconciliation.

List of name changes: