Four nature sites in Missouri were renamed to remove native slurs

Four nature sites in Missouri have been renamed under a new national policy to remove their previous names over a slur used against Native American women.

According to the Department of the Interior and the United States Geological Survey, the following Missouri sites with new names include…

• Minnesota Valley Creek (Atchison, Holt and Nodaway counties)
• Minnesota Valley Creek Ditch (Holt County)
• Run Creek (Christian County)
• Turkey Hollow (Madison County)

Each of these sites previously used a five-letter term that started with an ‘s’ and represented an indigenous slur. The new names became official on Sept. 8.

Hundreds of geographic features across the nation changed names following a federal order by U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American to lead a cabinet agency. Haaland’s order, issued in November, declared the word “s—w” derogatory and created a process for reviewing and replacing geographic place names that use the term.

“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,” said Haaland via a press 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.”