In a new op-ed for the Washington Post, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland discusses the removal from federal lands of a racist, misogynist slur historically used toward Indigenous women.
Haaland says the word appears on nearly 650 federal land units in some capacity.
In her op-ed, Haaland says the removal is “a significant step in affirming the value of Indigenous women” and demonstrates her commitment to ensuring “public lands and waters are accessible and welcoming.”
In November 2021, Secretary Haaland formally declared the S-Q word derogatory and ordered a task force to find replacement names for “valleys, lakes, creeks and other sites on federal lands.”
Arizona is in the process of renaming 67 locations statewide.
The full op-ed can be read here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/09/28/remove-racial-slur-federal-land-native-american/