With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Offensive words are often used in the names of natural American landmarks. Efforts to change them ar
More than 650 landmarks in the U.S. contain a slur that Native American women say is sexually demeaning. A new movement is trying to replace those names.
Listen
46:24
For more than 80 years, the Washington Football team sported a name that Native Americans deemed offensive. But that will no longer be the case starting Feb. 2. They are one of several sports teams reckoning with the long history of discrimination against Native Americans in their imagery and language.
Now, that same movement is set to take on a new word: “squaw.”
The origins of the word are unclear, but indigenous women have widely accepted it to be sexually demeaning as a reference to one’s genitalia.
As Chris La Tray writes in the Guardian, “No Native language claims the word.” But it’s used often in the names of American landmarks (more than 650 places, according to theU.S. Geological Survey).
Sponsor
Last November, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland officially designated the term as derogatory and ordered a federal commission to rename such places.
But communities are already facing resistance to those proposed changes. How did this word become so prevalent in America’s geography? And who gets to rename a place?
Copyright 2022 WAMU 88.5. To see more, visit WAMU 88.5. 9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004))
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Today, on Giving Tuesday, your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why on this Giving Tuesday, we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Today, on Giving Tuesday, your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why on this Giving Tuesday, we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
