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SALT LAKE CITY — Hundreds of geographic locations across the nation now have new names after the Interior Department decided to remove the term “squaw,” which the government agency considers an “offensive ethnic, racial and sexist slur, particularly for Native women.” . The US Board on Geographic Names has approved name changes for nearly 650 geographic locations, including 50 in Utah. Most notably, Squaw Mountain/Peak in Utah County will be renamed Kyhv Peak, according to the US Geological Survey, while a valley just north of Lindon will be renamed Brook Hollow. The full list of new names for some locations can be found here. The decision comes a year after U.S. Secretary Deb Haaland issued Secretary’s Orders 3404 and 3405, which established revisions to the use of what is referred to as the “sq-word” and appointed a committee to “broadly request, review and recommend changes in pejorative geographical and federal names of land units’. The department received more than 1,000 name change recommendations during a public comment period after the statements were issued. Dozens of tribal governments also participated by Thursday’s announcement, according to the Interior Department. “I feel a deep obligation to use my platform to ensure that our public lands and waters are accessible and welcoming. That starts with removing racist and derogatory names that have graced federal sites for far too long,” Haaland said, in a statement. “I am grateful to the members of the Derogatory Geographical Names Task Force and the Geographical Names Council for their efforts to prioritize this important work. Together, we are showing why representation matters and blazing a trail for an inclusive America.” The decision also comes just over a year after the Utah Legislature passed SB10 in its 2021 legislative session. The bill, sparked by the “sq-word,” authorized the Utah Department of Indian Affairs to “help facilitate of the application process for changing names of places referred to in American Indian terms”. Lawmakers noted at the time that final approval would have to come from the Interior Ministry. Ed Naranjo, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Goshute, requested the change in a letter to Sen. Jani Iwamoto, D-Salt Lake City, before the 2021 session, who said KSL-TV in 2020 was inspired by the daughters of . “There is something wrong and we have to change it,” he said at the time. “It has to stop. This is a new world, a new society and everyone is trying to get along with each other.” A group called the Repeak Committee also pushed for a Squaw Peak name change in 2017 after the US Board on Geographic Names voted to rename Moab’s Negro Bill Canyon to Grandstaff Canyon. Meanwhile, more name changes could be on the horizon, department officials said Thursday. He appointed members of a new federal advisory committee to “help identify and recommend changes in pejorative terms” just last month. More information about the review process and possible name changes is expected “in the coming weeks.” x

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Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter who covers general news, outdoors, history and sports for KSL.com. He previously worked for the Deseret News. She is a Utah transplant from Rochester, New York.