November 2, 2005
Klamath Falls Herald and News
By ANGELA TORRETTA
Name changes for two remote locations on Upper Klamath
Lake - Squaw Point and Squaw Marsh - are on hold while Klamath County
Commissioners seek public comment on the changes.
Commissioners said they were left out of the loop when new names were being
decided and asked a state board last month to wait before sending the new names
for final approval from federal government.
The proposed new names - Sesti Tgawaals Point and Marsh
- are names Klamath tribal members say are traditional names in the Klamath
tongue and translate roughly to “good view of Mount Shasta.” They were
chosen by tribal members and submitted by the Oregon State Fish and Wildlife
Department.
The Oregon Geographic Names Board approved the name change unanimously in June,
and at that time there was no opposition to the names. Commissioners said they
didn't learn about the name change until after it was approved because of
misdirected paperwork, and the state board agreed to a six-week extension.
“This area is part of Klamath County,” Brown said during an August meeting.
“Klamath County commissioners and Klamath County citizens had no input in
it.”
A public hearing at 10 a.m. Tuesday will allow local residents a chance to give
input on the name changes.
Names board president Champ Vaughan of Molalla said commissioners are welcome to
send in their thoughts on the name change, but an opposition from the county
doesn't mean the Sesti Tgawaals name won't be approved.
Many tribes have lobbied for squaw names in Oregon to be changed, saying the
word that refers to an American Indian woman is derogatory and offensive. The
Oregon Legislature has asked that all names containing the word squaw in the
state be changed. Many counties are following the same route as Klamath County
and choosing to replace the names with traditional tribal ones.
Other squaw names still in use in Klamath County include Squaw Lake near Mount McLoughlin, Squaw Flat in Barnes Valley, Squaw Flat at Shake Butte, Squaw Flat at Sprague River West and Squaw Creek at Agency Lake, according to the federal Geographic Names Information System.
Squaw Flat near Sprague River was changed last year to
Switchback Flat at the request of a member of the Klamath Tribes.
Public meeting
Topic: Gather public input on changing the names of Squaw Point and Squaw Marsh
When: 10 a.m. Tuesday
Where: Klamath County Government Center, 305 Main St., Second Floor,
Commissioner's Hearing Room
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