Press Release

Statement: The Biden administration announces plans to change offensive names of public lands

Monument reading "Sand Creek Battle Ground, Nov. 29 & 30, 1864" with rocks and other items left in front of it, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, Colorado

A memorial marker at Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site in Colorado, erroneously referring to the namesake crime as a "battle." John Evans, Colorado's second territorial governor, is considered to share some responsibility for the massacre.

Kent Kanouse, Flickr

U.S. Department of Interior to rename geographic features named with a racial slur aimed at Native American women and will create an advisory committee to address racist and offensive names across the country

Public lands are a defining feature of our nation’s shared values. However, because of historic and present oppression, racism, sexism and other injustices in the United States, public lands can also be unwelcoming and exclusionary places for systemically and deliberately overlooked populations such as communities of color, members of Native Nations, low-income communities, disabled populations, and LGBTQ+ communities. Thousands of mountains, rivers, and streams are still named with racial slurs or celebrate racist figures or those who committed unthinkable atrocities.  

The administration announced Friday that it plans to rename all geographic features currently named with a racial slur aimed at Native American women and creating an advisory committee to address racist and offensive names across the country.   

The Wilderness Society welcomed the announcement and released this statement from Paul Spitler, senior legislative policy manager:  

“The names of our mountains and rivers should honor and reflect our nation’s great diversity, and advance dignity for all people. We support the Biden administration’s actions to eliminate the thousands of racist and offensive place names on public lands and to work with diverse populations in local communities to create more equitable and inclusive outdoor spaces for all people.”   

The Wilderness Society is committed to eliminating environmental injustices on public lands, and support community-led efforts to address physical, political, and social obstacles to healthy outdoor activity so that all people can benefit equitably from public lands.  


CONTACT: 
Alex Thompson, Senior Communications Manager
alex_thompson@tws.org
(860) 416-0564