RHINELANDER, WI (WXPR-WSAU) — The U.S. Department of the Interior is seeking the public’s input as it renames 650 geographic features in the U.S. that have a name derogatory to American Indian women. Nearly 30 of those sites are in Wisconsin – many in the Northwoods.
Local indigenous women say the changes are a huge step in the right direction. Dee Ann Allen is the Lac du Flambeau interim tribal natural resources director, a tribal member, and a mother and grandmother. “To me, it matters that the government is finally recognizing the impact of these negative, derogatory names that didn’t have any consideration of tribal impact or the effect it would cause.”
Allen says she hopes the sites can be renamed after their original indigenous names. But no matter what happens, she hopes the renaming process can be used as a chance to educate people about why the slur is offensive. “Even in the controversy of name changes, it gives an opportunity to give them the history of this name and explain how renaming helps.”
A full list and a map of the sites to be renamed can be found at wxpr.org.
The renaming process was initiated by Deb Haaland, the first indigenous person to be the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. She signed an order in November establishing a task force to identify and rename geographic features called by the offensive slur.
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