 |
Offensive language still plagues Idaho;
Legislators slow to make place names appropriate
by Morgan Winsor
argonaut staff
Many Native American women refer to it as
the "s" word. It's a five-letter, one syllable vindictive
name they have hated for nearly two centuries.
The word "squaw" is a hurtful word, offensive and degrading
to Native American women, said Ruby Bernal, a Shoshone Bannock
tribal member.
Yet the word litters Idaho's map.
More than 93 locations in the state contain the word "squaw."
And tribal members throughout Idaho want the name wiped off the
map entirely.
But that day may take a while to come. Twice now the state Legislature
failed to pass a resolution to eliminate the word "squaw"
from the state's federal map.
The first resolution was killed by one vote last year. The second
resolution went under the knife two months ago.
Instead of voting to approve the removal of the word "squaw,"
the house drafted a new resolution encouraging Idahoans to suggest
changing offensive names that they think are offensive and present
alternatives name changes to the State Historical Society.
Some Native American women are offended that the word "squaw"
was removed from the resolution altogether.
"It was an easy way out," said Sonya Rosario, executive
director of the Women of Color Alliance. "It takes the responsibility
off them (politicians). They're playing it safe."
The meaning of the word "squaw" has deep roots in history,
dating back to the mid-1800s when the white men who worked as
trappers and hunters hiked through the region and traded goods
for sexual services from women, whom they called "squaws."
Bernal, who works a payroll technician for the Boise National
Forest, said the word refers to the genital area of women.
"It was a way to communicate between the white settlers,"
Bernal said. "When the white man wanted to have a woman
for the night they would ask for a squaw. They traded horses,
furs, guns, liquor and food."
Bernal, a member of the Inner Mountain American Indian Advisory
Council for Region No. 4, said the word "squaw" has
disturbed her since childhood.
"They (white males) would drive by while I was walking to
school and yell the name (squaw) out the window at me,"
she said. "I don't want to worry about that happening to
my children."
Lori Edmo-Suppah, a journalist-in-residence at the University
of Idaho and a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe, said the
same name-calling happened to her as a youngster.
"The word was always used in a manner that was hurtful and
degrading," Edmo-Suppah said.
Janet Ward, a member of the American Association of University
Women, supports confiscating the name.
"We definitely support changing squaw names," Ward
said. "And people have to realize that the name isn't just
offensive to Native American women, it offends all women."
Bernal said abolishing the word is "highly controversial"
and a "touchy subject" because some tribes, such as
the Navajo, have accepted the word as part of their language.
Ward said the process of eliminating any offensive geographical
name could be frustrating.
"The forms are complicated," she said. "And you
need to have a lot of support."
But having enough support doesn't seem to be a problem when it
comes to the 's' word.
"Most tribal members and leaders feel the same," Bernal
said.
When and if the National Geographical Name Sight Board in Washington,
D.C., does approve removing the name, Bernal said she'll begin
her work first by changing some of the "really offensive
geographic names on the map."
She said for example, Squaw Tit in Custer County and Squaw Hump
in Benewah County will be the first names to go.
Montana, Oregon, Minnesota, Maine and Oklahoma have removed the
names.
"Let's take the 's' word off all forest service maps,"
she said. "We need to make a difference in our life and
for our kids."
university of idaho argonaut
editor in chief david browning
301 student union. moscow, id 83844
ph# 885.7845 argonaut
or web-lackey bob
This site has been optimized for viewing with
Netscape 4.78 &
Internet Explorer 6.0, at 1024x768 and above
(please set your browser accordingly)
|
