What’s in a Name? Why Renaming Racist Places Is a Matter of Power & Healing

Names are not neutral. They can tell us important things about a place, including what it is and why it matters. Place names, collectively, tell us the story of how humans relate to the land and each other. Across the U.S. landscape, we find many names that reflect an antiquated, often oppressive view of the world. As we progress as a country and as a people, our place names should evolve with us. As these names change, both the land and its people can heal alongside each other.

Because of the need to heal our lands and communities from the damaging reality of derogatory place names, the Coalition for Outdoor Renaming & Education (CORE) was formed. CORE is a coalition of organizations and individuals committed to restoring justice through an inclusive process of reconciliation through the renaming of racist and derogatory place names.

In this work, we find that many people simply don’t understand the gravity and weight a place name carries. Long before there were National Parks, National Forests, and the United States of America, places across the continent were honored with names chosen by Indigenous peoples. Sometimes, places that held significance for multiple Tribal Nations held multiple names. These names were often descriptive, reflecting why the place was important, dangerous, sacred, or relevant to the Nation’s culture.

As the colonial project of the U.S. began to take root, geographic names were intentionally changed. Settlers renamed places, erasing many Native languages from the landscape. These renamings added to larger US-led genocide attempts, diminishing Native people’s rights, and their access to these lands.

Place names reaffirm settler dominance over people and lands. Derogatory words like “sq___” and “n*gro” were used to name creeks and mountains. This was not just a byproduct of colonialism, but an active articulation of power over land and the subjugation of people.

We are still living with these place names today, and they shape who feels welcome on the land. Derogatory place names influence who enjoys, protects, and spends time in these places. More importantly, names shape who feels excluded from them. Harmful place names create friction, alienation, and exclusion in the outdoors. Would a Native woman feel welcome hiking up a trail named after the subjugation and sexualization of her ancestors? Would a Black father feel comfortable hiking with his family on N*gro Mountain? Changing racist and derogatory place names is not just a theoretical or esoteric exercise. It impacts everyone, through healing and education.

Renaming does not erase history. It reflects history; it becomes part of history. Names represent how society has historically viewed landscapes and the people on them, and renaming reflects societal shifts to more inclusive and honest perspectives. Renaming racist and derogatory places makes public lands more inclusive and facilitates healing from trauma that harmed communities have endured for over 250 years. Renaming helps ensure all people, from all backgrounds, feel comfortable and welcomed to enjoy and recreate on public lands. 

Successful renaming initiatives must rely on the communities or Tribal Nations affected by such harmful names to lead and guide the process. Tribal consultation or deferring to local communities should be the priority and initial phase in the process. In practice, this often looks procedural and requires persistent advocacy to overcome many government regulations. That’s where you come in. Your voice and leadership matters! Take action and join the CORE here: https://www.outdoorrenaming.org/get-involved

Our lands tell stories, and we get to decide which stories rise to the top. Renaming racist place names is important, and it’s necessary. Renaming is more than addressing the past. It is about who we want to be in the future.