In November 2021, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland moved to declare the word “squaw” derogatory. Now, the Department of the Interior is seeking public comment on how to rename over 660 geographic features that contain the derogatory word. Secretary Haaland commented, “Words matter, particularly in our work to make our nation’s public lands and waters accessible and welcoming to people of all backgrounds … Consideration of these replacements is a big step forward in our efforts to remove derogatory terms whose expiration dates are long overdue.” Read more over at NPR.
