Biden Dept. of Interior moves to remove ‘derogatory’ names from federal lands

The Biden administration has begun the process of replacing the names of some of the nation’s federal lands that have been deemed “derogatory.”

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced in a press release Friday that her department has formally established a “process to review and replace” derogatory names such as “squaw” from federal usage. 

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“Racist terms have no place in our vernacular or on our federal lands. Our nation’s lands and waters should be places to celebrate the outdoors and our shared cultural heritage – not to perpetuate the legacies of oppression,” Haaland said. “Today’s actions will accelerate an important process to reconcile derogatory place names and mark a significant step in honoring the ancestors who have stewarded our lands since time immemorial.”

The statement adds, “Secretarial Order 3404 formally identifies the term “squaw” as derogatory and creates a federal task force to find replacement names for geographic features on federal lands bearing the term. The term has historically been used as an offensive ethnic, racial, and sexist slur, particularly for Indigenous women. There are currently more than 650 federal land units that contain the term, according to a database maintained by the Board on Geographic Names.”

FILE – In this July 14, 2021, file photo, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland meets with young people from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe after a ceremony of the disinterred remains of nine Native American children who died more than a century ago while attending a government-run school in Pennsylvania….