Washington adopts proposals to rename nature sites containing Indigenous slur

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View of Ann Lake from Maple Pass in the Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest, Washington. (Miguel Vieira // CC BY 2.0)

SEATTLE - On Tuesday, the Washington State Board of Natural Resources officially renamed five geographic features that previously bore names that were derogatory to Native American women.

According to the DNR, three of the proposals were submitted by local tribes.

Specifically, the committee and tribes are looking to remove the word ‘squaw’—an ethnic and sexual slur historically used to refer to Indigenous women. The word is considered universally offensive by Native Americans and First Nation people. In 2021, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland declared the term to be derogatory, and formally ordered it be removed from names of natural locations.

The word has been scrubbed from more than 660 mountains, rivers, valleys, creeks and other sites.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 18 Washington nature sites renamed to remove Indigenous slur after federal order

CHELAN COUNTY

The five-acre lake west of Lake Wenatchee is now named "Masawii Lake". The name was proposed by a Wenatchi elder, and submitted by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

JEFFERSON COUNTY

The passage between Marrowstone Island and Indian Island is now named "Passage Through", which is the translation of the Clallam word "Scɬəqʷ."

According to the DNR, this passage played a significant route for S’Kallam and Chemacum peoples in the 18th and 19th centuries. The passage had been blocked for about 100 years before reopening in 2019.

KITTITAS COUNTY

The nine-acre lake north of Cl Elum is now called "Nosh Nosh Wahtum", which translates to "Salamander Lake".

OKANOGAN COUNTY

The 2-mile ridge 8 miles west of Pateros is now named Swaram Creek Ridge after the creek that runs below it. The DNR says the creek also had the same derogatory name, but the name change was approved by the board in 2018.

The name was proposed by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, coming from a Methow tribal elder.

Another name for the ridge is still in the works. Staff have submitted "Mokheil", a traditional name for this landform, as an alternate name.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Washington committee hears proposals to change derogatory names of geographic features

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