Staff report

A monthslong effort by the Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force under the U.S. Department of the Interior culminated recently in removing the word “squaw” from nearly 650 geographic features in the U.S., including three in the Mahoning Valley.

The Board on Geographic Names voted to remove the word, which historically has been used as an “offensive ethnic, racial and sexist slur, particularly for indigenous women,” according to the Department of the Interior’s website, which uses “sq—” in place of the word.

As a result, Squaw Creek, which originates northeast of Youngstown Kingsville Road in Vienna and runs southwest to the Mahoning River in Girard, has been renamed Girard Creek.

Little Squaw Creek, which begins northeast of the intersection of Churchill Road and Belmont Avenue in Liberty Township and runs southwest to the Mahoning River, has similarly been renamed Little Girard Creek.

Squaw Valley Park Lake, a reservoir in the middle of the former Squaw Creek near the intersection of Smith-Stewart Road and Pleasant Valley Road in Liberty, is now called Girard Valley Park Lake.

Outside the Mahoning Valley, another Ohio reservoir, Squaw Valley Lake in Stark County; an island, Squaw Island in Sandusky County; and a bay, Squaw Harbor in Ottawa County; also were renamed to Liberty Valley Lake, Winous Island, and Oak Point Harbor respectively.

“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 locations for

far too long,” Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a news release.

“I am grateful to the members of the Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force and the Board on Geographic Names for their efforts to prioritize this important work. Together, we are showing why representation matters

and charting a path for an inclusive America.”

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