Offensive Mountain Name Changes

[VikingsGuy]

Only a matter of time.....

Princeton To Remove Woodrow Wilson's Name From Public Policy School

Princeton trustees voted to remove Wilson's name from the School of Public and International Affairs. The board said, "Wilson's racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake."

www.npr.org

Mount Woodrow Wilson : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost

Mount Woodrow Wilson : SummitPost.org : Climbing, hiking, mountaineering

www.summitpost.org

Lots of reasons to celebrate this one - one of my least favorite presidents.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Might as well change the name of the Tetons to something less vulgar too.

 

[Shangobango]

Some of it makes sense to me like changing a derogatory name that includes squaw or the n-word, some of it I find silly such as the removal of the Teddy Roosevelt statue at the National Museum and the changing of some of the confederate related names and the removal of some of the confederate statues. Erasing the reminders does nothing to change history. I think sometimes it would be better to leave some of the reminders of how much progress we have made and continue to make.

I think we have bigger fish to fry. The efforts being made on some of these things could be better used elsewhere I would think.

 

[noharleyyet]

It's not about names...it's about a steady drip to keep the narrative at the tip of the spear.

 

[BigHornRam]

Lots of reasons to celebrate this one - one of my least favorite presidents.

I don't what is more dangerous. Wilson's ideals and policies or purging history because those ideals are no longer convenient.

 

[44hunter45]

[This turned into something way longer and more 'Um, OK" than what I was actually thinking...]

The Chinese Wall is being looked at as well.

Redirect Notice

"The organization describes itself as "five friends" who grew up in Montana ..."
5 people is now a movement.

I'm not trying to be snarky here. (Well, some say that's all I've got.) But this one just seems to be the silliest of all to me. Some possible new names could be Ted Turner Escarpment? Jane Fonda Uplift? Sara & Sam Scwherin Overlook? Harrison Ford Fold?

If, as the First People's say, their ancestors speak to them in these places, we should accept their names for them. But then we should never utter those names without their blessing. What then do we call them?

I definitely see what NHY is saying about the steady drip. But I think if we get outraged one way or the other, we are just feeding the trolls.

Offense as a movement is an entirely human activity. If you offend a bison he will simply give you a hook and a toss. The rocks do not care any more than the Pikeminnows were hurt to be called Squawfish. A google search of places no longer having "squaw" in the name shows many of them are now named after white european men. I'm not sure that is culturally sensitive progress, either.

If Mike Lee would vow to protect public lands on pain of death from this day forward, I'd name my next son after him. (Although at momma's age, "Isaac" would be a better fit.)
To paraphrase my tag line, anyone who ever had anything named after them was likely all too human. Today's heroes become tomorrow's enemies.

 

[VikingsGuy]

I don't what is more dangerous. Wilson's ideals and policies or purging history because those ideals are no longer convenient.

History is still there - a current building name is not history. History will note the old name and the reasons for the change - cuz - history

 

[Brandon270]

I hope Baldy Peak is on the list.

We have a bald mountain locally, we will see how long that lasts

 

[BAKPAKR]

I still haven't checked out this trail yet but saw it while looking at trails/maps. Big Dick trail follows Big Dick Creek up to Big Dick Point. Forest service recommends going up Long Liz and going down Big Dick. I am sure someone enjoyed writing that on the website . Now I am worried someone will change it if I draw too much attention to it.

Idaho Panhandle National Forests - Big Dick Trail #189

Idaho Panhandle National Forests - Big Dick Trail #189

www.fs.usda.gov

There is a creek and campground just south of big dick creek that was changed from squaw to Telichpah. Both names show up on google maps.

I thought of the Point as soon as I saw the title of this thread .

 

[Dave N]

Traveled a LOT during the summers as a kid when the crops were done being cultivated and school was out. Can't remember which state it was, but a local peak named "Nellie's Nipple" kept my younger cousin in stitches repeating the name over and over.

 

[BigHornRam]

History is still there - a current building name is not history. History will note the old name and the reasons for the change - cuz - history

Having Wilson's named tied to Princeton finally became inconvenient. In stead of taking the time to explain why someone with Wilson's views was big part of Princeton in the past, it is easier to remove him completely from Princeton today. History will soon forget.

 

[VikingsGuy]

History will soon forget.

I think current events, including this situation, prove that it doesn't. But who gets to "call the balls and strikes" does swing from time to time.

 

[BigHornRam]

I think current events, including this situation, prove that it doesn't. But who gets to "call the balls and strikes" does swing from time to time.

The mcnuggets in Portland are trying to burn down elk statues now. This one a ball or strike?

 

[diamond hitch]

When we were working in the widerness near lake whenatche we struggled to locate claims on west side of the divide. After a month of recon we found that Index peak had moved three times between 1860 and 1910. The claims were all located from Index peak. Sometimes changes are a pain in the butt.

Many places I have worked had names in the 1870s but don't have a name now. Another classic was when the USGS changed the name of the Pend Oreille river in Montana I think to the Flathead in the 50s.

Get use to change - it ain't new. And remember" you can't fix stupid".

 

[Bluffgruff]

I was involved with and followed closely the many toponym changes years back, when the word squaw was removed from numerous place-names in Montana . It was the right thing to do.

There are 16 Black Mountains in Montana. What many folks don’t know, is 100 years ago they were N- word mountains. After that, some were changed to Negro Mountains. And now some of those are Black Mountains. The same line of events applies to many gulches in the state and I’m sure the west.

I look at name changes for the toponyms of our country as a great opportunity. If they decide that Indian Butte is offensive, great. There are five of them in Montana. Let’s come up with some descriptive and creative names that are memorable.

But if they touch Bloody Dick Peak, let the looting begin.

Bloody dick creek just makes me feel bad for all the Richards out there

 

[Dougfirtree]

I was involved with and followed closely the many toponym changes years back, when the word squaw was removed from numerous place-names in Montana . It was the right thing to do.

There are 16 Black Mountains in Montana. What many folks don’t know, is 100 years ago they were N- word mountains. After that, some were changed to Negro Mountains. And now some of those are Black Mountains. The same line of events applies to many gulches in the state and I’m sure the west.

I look at name changes for the toponyms of our country as a great opportunity. If they decide that Indian Butte is offensive, great. There are five of them in Montana. Let’s come up with some descriptive and creative names that are memorable.

But if they touch Bloody Dick Peak, let the looting begin.

I remember that. When I moved to Missoula, there was a Squaw peak on the skyline and by the time I left, it was something else. I can't remember what though... For some reason I remember being underwhelmed with the replacement.

 

[Bigjay73]

But is it injured bloody, or bad timing bloody? Makes a difference in the cringe value

 

[Panda Bear]

Enough is Enough !!!!

I can live with Bloody Dick Peak or Maidens Breast being renamed, or not --------

But I just found out that the statue of The Little Mermaid has been vandalized. Now I am pissed !

 

[cedahm]

Make sure they don't overlook Dead Mexican Park.

Every time I drive through there I wonder what happened. I have even asked folks in Clark a couple times and no one has known the story. Should probably ask at the Hahn’s peak museum someday.

Why no mention of the Gore places (Range, creek, pass, et al) ? They’ve been talking about changing those forever - not because Gore was racist - just because he was an intolerable royal assh**e that never even set foot on those places.

 

[Doublecluck]

Never really pay much attention to mountain names on maps. I name my mountains by where what I shoot falls on them. I would share but y’all would be offended, or maybe not, but certainly someone’s mother would be offended.