Tell Secretary Haaland: Change Offensive Place Names Across Turtle Island
Tell U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names to work with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to replace every offensively titled place on Lakota Law’s Geographic Names Hall of Shame. You can customize your message and also recommend any other offensive place names of which you're aware!
To preview our Place Name Hall of Shame, click on Read More below. Please be aware before clicking that many of these names use racist terminology.
Lakota Law's Place Name Hall of Shame
1. Big Negro Creek in Missouri
2. Darky Knob in Kentucky
3. Red Skin Run in Kentucky
4. Negro Foot in Virginia
5. Pickaninny Buttes in California
6. Red Skin Knolls in Utah
7. Redskin Brook in Indiana
8. Wetback Tank in New Mexico
9. Anna in Illinois *
10. Devil’s Tower in Wyoming **
11. Dead Indian Pass in Wyoming
12. Chinamans Canyon Colorado
* While “Anna” may not seem offensive at first glance, its history reveals something else. After its founding, Anna became a "sundown town," where People of Color weren't safe after dark. And its name became an acronym meaning “Ain't No ‘N-words’ Allowed.”
** Devil’s Tower is an important place with deep significance to many Native Nations. It’s highly inappropriate that this sacred site — so meaningful to the cultural histories and spiritual traditions of the first inhabitants of this land — should carry a name alluding to an evil originating from a book of non-Native spirituality. We recommend official adoption of its Lakota name: Bear Lodge.