KTLA

Derogatory term officially scrubbed from federal use; 80 California sites get new names

Travis Schlepp

FILE - Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland speaks at a news conference in Yellowstone National Park on Friday, July 8, 2022. (Rachel Leathe/Bozeman Daily Chronicle via AP, File)

A racial slur used to identify hundreds of landmarks and geographic sites across the country is getting replaced.

In California, the term “squaw” will be scrubbed from 80 geographic features across the state, bringing an end to hundreds of years of the offensive term being used in an official capacity.

The term has been used throughout history as an offensive ethnic and sexist term, particularly against Indigenous and Native women.

The effort to wipe the term from the American lexicon has been an ongoing battle for generations, but has gained steam after Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland established a task force to review and replace the term and ordered the federal body responsible for naming geographic places to no longer use it.

Haaland, who is the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary in the nation, thanked the task force and the Board on Geographic Names for their cooperation and prioritization of the project.

“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 Haaland in a news release.

Since the formation of the task force, more than a thousand different names had been recommended during public comment with input coming from historians and tribal leaders across the country.

The task force, which includes members of the National Parks Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Land Management and the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights, were faced with a number of challenges.

They were tasked with evaluating the suggestions from both the public and Tribal leaders for geographic features that often landed in various different state, federal and tribal jurisdictions. They also had to evaluate inconsistent spelling of Native languages and evaluate the diverse array of opinions of those making recommendations.

Ultimately, nearly 650 geographic sites, including the 80 in California, were renamed.

The California landmarks that will be renamed are below:

New NamePrevious NameFeature ClassCounty or EquivalentState
Habematolel ValleyBig Squaw ValleyValleyLake CountyCalifornia
East Fork Sulanharas CreekEast Fork Squaw CreekStreamShasta CountyCalifornia
North Fork Waydalmem CreekNorth Fork Squaw CreekStreamShasta CountyCalifornia
South Fork Waydalmem CreekSouth Fork Squaw CreekStreamShasta CountyCalifornia
Ehluyeh CanyonSquaw CanyonValleyPlumas CountyCalifornia
Spruce Grove CreekSquaw CreekStreamHumboldt CountyCalifornia
K’ ohuy CahSquaw CreekStreamMendocino CountyCalifornia
Log ValleyLittle Squaw ValleyBasinLake CountyCalifornia
Bald CreekSquaw CreekStreamShasta CountyCalifornia
Washeshu CreekSquaw CreekStreamPlacer CountyCalifornia
Waydalmem CreekSquaw CreekStreamShasta CountyCalifornia
Telegraph CreekSquaw CreekStreamHumboldt CountyCalifornia
Lolsel CreekSquaw CreekStreamColusa CountyCalifornia
Grasshopper CreekSquaw CreekStreamHumboldt CountyCalifornia
Tip Top Ridge CreekSquaw CreekStreamHumboldt CountyCalifornia
Mayacmas CreekSquaw CreekStreamSonoma CountyCalifornia
Papakum Pakan FlatSquaw FlatFlatPlacer CountyCalifornia
Yét Atwam FlatSquaw FlatFlatShasta CountyCalifornia
Grasshopper Creek RidgeSquaw Creek RidgeRidgeHumboldt CountyCalifornia
Sawabü FlatSquaw FlatFlatInyo CountyCalifornia
Gates OpeningSquaw OpeningFlatMendocino CountyCalifornia
Logan FlatSquaw FlatFlatGlenn CountyCalifornia
Table HollowSquaw HollowValleyTehama CountyCalifornia
Milk PeakSquaw PeakSummitModoc CountyCalifornia
Mudoim PeakSquaw PeakSummitPlumas CountyCalifornia
Pieta Rock SlideSquaw Rock SlideSlopeMendocino CountyCalifornia
Yét Atwam CreekSquaw Valley CreekStreamShasta County, Siskiyou CountyCalifornia
Olympic ValleySquaw ValleyValleyPlacer CountyCalifornia
Oso Kum SpringSquaw Valley SpringSpringPlumas CountyCalifornia
Habematolel CreekSquaw Valley CreekStreamLake CountyCalifornia
Delunga PeakSquaw Valley PeakSummitPlumas CountyCalifornia
Om Chatim SpringsSquaw Valley Peak SpringsSpringPlumas CountyCalifornia
West Fork Sulanharas CreekWest Fork Squaw CreekStreamShasta CountyCalifornia
Mat Kwa’rar NemaawSquaw CanyonValleySan Diego CountyCalifornia
Bull Spring MountainSquaw MountainSummitSan Bernardino CountyCalifornia
Tenaja MountainSquaw MountainSummitRiverside CountyCalifornia
Xanyō XamshréSquaw LakeLakeImperial CountyCalifornia
Mat Puy Nah AchhuukaaypSquaw PeakSummitSan Diego CountyCalifornia
Ho’toy PeakSquaw PeakSummitMonterey CountyCalifornia
Needle SpringSquaw SpringSpringInyo CountyCalifornia
Mohave PeakSquaw TitSummitSan Bernardino CountyCalifornia
Arch PeakSquaw PeakSummitSan Bernardino CountyCalifornia
S’ o”” Kuku CreekSquaw CreekStreamVentura CountyCalifornia
Yokuts BasinSquaw ValleyBasinFresno CountyCalifornia
East Fork North Fork Sulanharas CreekEast Fork North Fork Squaw CreekStreamShasta CountyCalifornia
Paac Kü̱vü̱hü̱’kSquaw TankReservoirRiverside CountyCalifornia
Tubbe Paa LakeOld Squaw LakeLakeFresno CountyCalifornia
Sulanharas CreekSquaw CreekStreamShasta CountyCalifornia
North Fork Sulanharas CreekNorth Fork Squaw CreekStreamShasta CountyCalifornia
Uti FlatSquaw FlatFlatPlacer CountyCalifornia
Sulanharas Creek ArmSquaw Creek ArmBayShasta CountyCalifornia
Whichwo CreekSquaw CreekStreamTrinity CountyCalifornia
Mani’pa GulchSquaw GulchValleyPlacer CountyCalifornia
Oak HollowSquaw HollowValleyCalaveras County, Tuolumne CountyCalifornia
Kapa HollowSquaw HollowValleyEl Dorado CountyCalifornia
Deer Lick FlatSquaw FlatFlatTrinity CountyCalifornia
Stoveleg GulchSquaw GulchValleyTrinity CountyCalifornia
Hunchup CreekSquaw Hollow CreekStreamEl Dorado CountyCalifornia
Nüümü Hu HupiSquaw LakeLakeFresno CountyCalifornia
Deer Hollow CreekSquaw Hollow CreekStreamTehama CountyCalifornia
San Joaquin ButteSquaw LeapCliffFresno CountyCalifornia
Mo Bisipi CreekSquaw Queen CreekStreamPlumas CountyCalifornia
Washeshu PeakSquaw PeakSummitPlacer CountyCalifornia
Damalusung LakeSquaw LakeLakeSierra CountyCalifornia
Tamarack PeakSquaw PeakSummitSiskiyou CountyCalifornia
Corral ValleySquaw ValleyValleyLassen CountyCalifornia
Kahus FlatSquaw FlatFlatVentura CountyCalifornia
Saputiwah SpringSquaw SpringSpringVentura CountyCalifornia
Scratch CreekSquaw CreekStreamTulare CountyCalifornia
Hukaht CanyonSquaw CanyonValleyLos Angeles CountyCalifornia
Inman RockSquaw RockSummitMendocino CountyCalifornia
Beyem Seyo ValleySquaw ValleyValleyPlumas CountyCalifornia
Leaning Pine HillSquaw HillSummitMariposa CountyCalifornia
Mat Kwa’KurrSquaw TitSummitSan Diego CountyCalifornia
Frog Woman RockSquaw RockSummitMendocino CountyCalifornia
Panther PrairieSquaw PrairieAreaHumboldt CountyCalifornia
Pkwo’-o-lo’ ‘ue-merkwSquaw TitSummitHumboldt CountyCalifornia
MúmawetSquaw HillSummitRiverside CountyCalifornia
Hayfork SpringSquaw Camp SpringSpringTrinity CountyCalifornia
Ehluyeh Canyon SpringsSquaw Canyon SpringsSpringPlumas CountyCalifornia

For a complete list of geographic sites across the country that will be renamed, click here. A map of the sites can be found here.