Right now, the Department of Interior is working to rename more than 650 geographic features that bear a racist slur against Indigenous women. It’s a small but important step toward addressing the legacy of oppression and colonialism woven through public lands—and toward ensuring that outdoor spaces are welcoming and inclusive to all.
But there is still more work to do to change the thousands of other offensive place names on public lands. Officials need to know that doing this work matters. They should revisit the thousands of other racist or offensive place names that exist, and those renaming efforts should honor our shared cultures and histories. Additionally, this is the ideal moment to weigh in on the specific replacement names for mountains, rivers and other features across the U.S.
Thank you,
