In Washington and Oregon, offensive names of places are quietly taken off the maps

[struggle4progress]

Michael Muskal
November 16

... After a long controversy, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names last week approved changing the names of a lake and creek in Washington state that included the word "coon," an insulting term for African Americans. The board also agreed to three changes in Oregon involving the word "squaw," a derogatory term for women.

"Sometimes names that were appropriate to society no longer are," said Lou Yost, the executive secretary of the low-profile board ...

The fight over changing Coon Lake and Coon Creek to Howard Lake and Howard Creek in Washington's North Cascades National Park began more than a decade ago. In 2009, the federal board rejected a state request to change the name to conform with Washington's action to rename it in honor of an pioneering African American prospector, Wilson Howard ...

The board also changed three names in Oregon to honor local Native Americans who supported the change, Yost said. Squaw Spring, Squaw Flat and Squaw Flat Spring will now become Tuhu-u Spring, WogonagaT potso-na Flat and WogonagaT potso-na Flat Spring, officials said ...

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-racist-maps-20151116-story.html

[marble falls]

1. Shocked its taken so long.

[Blue_Tires]

3. +1

[Aristus]

2. In some cases, we've been able to keep the name, but change the inspiration.

We changed the namesake of King County from the racist, pro-slavery Vice President William Rufus King to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Because when Washington State kicks racism and bigotry, we kick it in the teeth!