GREEN BAY – U.S. Division of the Inside officers are working with the Wisconsin Division of Pure Assets to alter the names of 28 locations in Wisconsin which were deemed derogatory towards Indigenous girls.
Most are our bodies of water, comparable to rivers, lakes and creeks.
Most are within the northern and western parts of the state, however some are in northeast Wisconsin.
The time period “sq–w” could have began as a mispronunciation of an Algonquin phrase for ladies however over time has taken a considerably extra derogatory that means.
The time period was used to call some locations in Wisconsin by white settlers, principally within the 1800s.
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U.S. Division of the Inside Secretary Deb Haaland not too long ago signed a directive that declares “sq–w” a derogatory time period in opposition to Indigenous girls and implements a course of for changing the names of locations with that time period throughout the nation.
Haaland is the primary Indigenous girl to carry the Inside secretary place.
Kris Goodwill, tribal liaison for the Wisconsin Division of Pure Assets, mentioned, “The DNR is getting ready for the second spherical of the federal course of and gathering different geographic names within the state which can be derogatory.”
For extra about this course of and what occurs subsequent, learn this text: “‘Halfbreed Rapids’ and different derogatory Wisconsin website names are subsequent up for alternative.”
Listed below are the 28 locations in Wisconsin that shall be getting new names — together with their places and proposed new names.
1. Little Sq–w Lake
Location: Oconto County, between Suring and Coleman
Proposed names: Marl Bay, Messenger Creek, Bagley Creek, McDonald Creek, Inexperienced Island
2. Sq–w Lake
Location: Oconto County, between Suring and Coleman
Proposed names: Messenger Creek, McDonald Creek, Marl Bay, Bagley Creek, Inexperienced Island
3. Sq–w Lake
Location: Outagamie County, between Appleton and Fremont
Proposed names: Rat River, Potters Creek, Black Otter Lake, Black Otter Creek, Wolf River
4. Sq–w Creek
Location: Menominee County, simply north of Neopit
Proposed names: Neopit Millpond 108, Rainbow Falls, Peavey Falls, Punchout Springs, Crimson Springs
5. Sq–w Island
Location: Door County, close to Little Sturgeon, west of Sturgeon Bay
Proposed names: Keyes Creek, Little Sturgeon Bay, Henderson Level, Lake Michigan, Rileys Level
6. Sq–w Creek
Location: Ashland County
Proposed names: Conley Lake, Gogebic Vary, Lengthy Lake, Meder Lake, Spillerberg Lake
7. Sq–w Level
Location: Bayfield County
Proposed names: Lake Superior, Saxine Creek, Mawikwe Bay, Siskiwit River, Siskiwit Bay
8. Sq–w Creek
Location: Bayfield County
Proposed names: Mawikwe Bay, Siskiwit Bay, Eagle Island Shoals, Roman Level, Apostle Islands
9. Sq–w Creek
Location: Forest County
Proposed names: Spider Creek Flowage, Bellis Spring, Metonga Lake, Knoke Spring, West Hill
10. Sq–w Creek
Location: Jackson County
Proposed names: Hawk Island, 0.94 Reservoir, Black River Flowage 1610, Ni-ho-kha-wa-ne-ey-ja, 1.18 Reservoir
11. Sq–w Mound
Location: Jackson County
Proposed names: Levis Creek, Trowe Drain, Trowe Marsh, Little Bear Flowage, Dickey Creek
12. Sq–w Mound Flowage
Location: Jackson County
Proposed names: Levis Creek, Trowe Drain, Trowe Marsh, Wildcat Flowage, Dickey Creek
13. Sq–w Creek
Location: Langlade County
Proposed names: Augustyn Springs, Saint Claire Rapids, Harper Springs, Dennison Swamp, Stevens Springs
14. Sq–w Lake
Location: Langlade County
Proposed names: East Department Eau Claire River, Bogus Swamp, Clearwater Creek, Sucker Creek, West Department Eau Claire River
15. Sq–w Creek
Location: Lincoln County
Proposed names: Hilts Lake, Fawn Lake, Whirlpool Rapids, Harrison Lake, Pine Lake
16. Sq–w Lake
Location: Lincoln County
Proposed names: Wisconsin River, Crescent Creek, North Department Pine Creek, Noisy Creek, Whirlpool Rapids
17. Sq–w Creek
Location: Lincoln and Value counties
Proposed names: Spirit River Flowage, Pearson Hill, Timms Hill, Moyle Lake 35, Lake Mohawksin
18. Sq–w Creek
Location: Marathon and Wooden counties
Proposed names: McMillan Marsh, Rangeline Flowage, Huge Eau Pleine Reservoir, 1 Reservoir, North Smoky Hill Flowage
19. South Sq–w Creek
Location: Marathon and Wooden counties
Proposed names: Rangeline Flowage, Huge Eau Pleine Reservoir, North Smoky Hill Flowage, Ten Pool, Smoky Hill
20. Sq–w Creek
Location: Marinette County
Proposed names: Sixty Islands, Buck Hill, Spherical Island, Miscauno Island, Merryman Island
21. Sq–w Lake
Location: Marinette County
Proposed names: Handsaw Creek, Excessive Falls Reservoir, Peshtigo River, Thunder River, Johnson Falls Flowage 647
22. Sq–w Creek
Location: Value County
Proposed names: Solberg Lake, Elk, Duroy, Lengthy Lakes and Wilson Flowage, Sailor Creek Flowage, Mink Spring, Hogsback Springs
23. Decrease Sq–w Creek Flowage
Location: Value County
Proposed names: Hoffman Creek, Nichols Lake, Hesher Creek, Gates Lake, Deer Creek
24. Sq–w Creek Flowage 6
Location: Value County
Proposed names: Nichols Lake, Gates Lake, Hoffman Creek, Hesher Creek, Sailor Creek
25. Sq–w Bay
Location: Sawyer County
Proposed names: Heron Creek, Lake Chetac, Indian Level, Pickerel Lake, Garbutt Island
26. Sq–w Lake
Location: St. Croix County
Proposed names: Apple River, Riverdale Flowage, Cedar Creek, Horse Creek, Levesque Spring
27. White Sq–w Lake
Location: Vilas County
Proposed names: Siphon Creek, Siphon Springs, Goodyear Springs, Little Tamarack Creek, Garland Creek
28. Sq–w Lake
Location: Waushara County
Proposed names: Chicago Level, Fox Tail Level, Fox Tail Bay, Decrease White River Pond 83, White River
Frank Vaisvilas is a Report For America corps member primarily based on the Inexperienced Bay Press-Gazette protecting Native American points in Wisconsin. He could be reached at 815-260-2262 or fvaisvilas@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @vaisvilas_frank. Please take into account supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible present to this reporting effort at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA.
This text initially appeared on Inexperienced Bay Press-Gazette: Wisconsin altering 28 place names that slur Native American girls