On Friday, California officials announced that the term "squaw", a derogatory term for Native American women, was set to be removed from over 30 names of locations in the state.
In 2022, California Gov. Gavin Newsome signed a bill into law decreeing that the word be banned from future use in naming locations because "the term has historically been used as an offensive ethnic, racial, and sexist slur, particularly for Indigenous women."
"It's a racial stereotype. At times, it can even be a way of exerting harm against an individual or a group of people," explained Deputy Secretary for Tribal Affairs at the Natural Resource Agency Geneva Thompson. "You see that play out in the history of the state of California. You see this term written in military generals' journals as a way of othering Native women to justify violence that was committed against them."
Assembly Bill 2022 ordered that location names that already enlisted the term, including streets, bridges, public buildings, forest fire fuel breaks and cemeteries, should have their names changed by the resources agency.
The bill was brought to the floor by Assemblymember James Ramos (D-Highland), who believed the word "denigrates Native American women and dehumanizes them."
"Acknowledging those historical wrongs that were committed against Native Americans is extremely important, but we need to take the next step toward healing," said Thompson. "While there are differences among folks, we can build communities that reflect and honor and celebrate those differences instead of alienating and perpetuating historical wrongs."
The renaming, set to occur in 2025, will follow an additional order from U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland calling for the renaming of any federal land using the term.
The California Advisory Committee on Geographic Names has partnered with local governments and native tribes in order to locate and rename uses of the term within state jurisdiction.
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