Hozho Life, Inc

01/25/2023

Received notification today, Arizona Names Board sent official notice of name change of a prominent mountain located near Camp Verde, Arizona. Replacement name is Porcupine Mountain.

09/08/2022

Sharing some wonderful news!

Secretary Deb Haaland did it! She changed over 600 names of natural features throughout the US that contain the derogatory term Sq*** with Interior Secretarial Order 3404.

I was happy to get involved in this renaming project before the Secretarial Order. I started working on renaming mountains with offensive names in January 2021 after hiking in Maricopa County and a friend pointed out a nearby mountain that had the name “Sq*** Tits”. As an indigenous woman, I was offended, insulted and angry. I got to work and helped push a 2 year old petition to get that mountain renamed. It was renamed to Isanaklesh Peak.

That started a renaming effort with other interested individuals in AZ. We wanted to rename another mountain, Sq*** Tit, located on the Barry Goldwater Airforce range near the Tohono O’odham Nation in Arizona. Our suggested name was Sand Tank Peak. And the group and I worked with a Yavapai Apache elder to come up with the name Porcupine Mountain for Sq*** Peak by Camp Verde, AZ. With the Secretarial Order, we suggested the names, Sand Tank Peak and Porcupine Mountain to the task force appointed by Madam Secretary and they were accepted.

Also a good mention, there were 8 mountains with the name “Sq*** Tit” in five U.S. states, AZ, CA, NE, NM, NV. I am excited to report, they are all officially renamed!

See complete list: https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/all-official-sq-names

07/28/2022

Here is an update on renaming derogatory natural features in AZ.

The term has historically been used as an offensive ethnic, racial and sexist slur, particularly for Indigenous women.

04/25/2022

Today is the last day to submit a public comment relating to Secretary Deb Halaad’s order to rename geological features that contain the derogatory term Sq__.

There are 667 features throughout the US. California has 85 features including 2 features named Sq__ Tit, Idaho has 70 features to be renamed and Arizona has 67 features and includes one summit in Maricopa county with the name Sq__ Tit.

Direct your public comment to Michael Tischler at 703-344-4348 or email: [email protected]

Sharing an article from Idaho Statesman. Idaho is the second state to have the highest number of features with the derogatory term.

Several people said the name was meant to honor Native Americans and that an image of a Native maiden can be seen in the butte.

04/02/2022

Local Arizona resident submits replacement names for AZ mountains to Department of the Interior

From the list of 664 names provided by United States Geological Survey (USGS) throughout the United States, Arizona is third after the states California and Idaho for having the highest number of geographic features containing the derogatory term “Sq__” within their name. In Arizona, there are 67 geological features (streams, reservoirs, springs, valleys, summits and even a beach) containing the derogatory term. Nineteen of the 67 are summits in Arizona.
The deadline set by The Department of the Interior (DOI) is approaching. Last day to submit public comment on candidate names to replace derogatory names of geographic features on federal lands throughout the United States ends on April 25, 2022. (https://federalregister.gov/d/2022-03748 )

In reviewing the suggested names from the Task Force appointed by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. Jennifer Touchine with Hózhó Life, Inc with other interested parties found some of the proposed candidate names are as potentially inappropriate or derogatory as the names they intended to replace.

Hózhó Life, Inc would like to announce and show support to longtime Arizona resident, Scott Surgent, for the suggested replacement names submitted to the Task Force for the Arizona summits. Mr. Surgent has acquired significant local knowledge of the land as an avid hiker, climber and amateur historian. Surgent has documented many Arizona summits through reviews captured on the website https://listsofjohn.com/.

All name suggestions for the 19 Arizona summits were formally submitted to the DOI’s Task Force through federal register by Mr. Surgent. It is important to remove the derogatory term, Sq__ from the landscape of the United States. It is a commendable endeavor that the Interior Secretary will accomplish this in less than a year. However, the manner in which this task is being achieve lacks the detail required to sensibly rename these geological features.

Scott states, “a peak’s new name should have some basis in history, or follow a local theme, or take into account local sentiment. It is a given there will be people upset at renaming any peak, thus, it is important to have a balance in how the peaks are renamed. I believe if the peak lies on land belonging to or has historical/religious significance to a Native American Nation, their suggestions should be primary. Otherwise, the names can be chosen based on a mixture of criteria.”

03/04/2022

https://indiancountrytoday.com/the-press-pool/interior-seeks-public-help-with-renaming-mountains-creeks-and-valleys-on-federal-lands

News Release Hózhó Life, Inc. The Department of the Interior (DOI) is seeking public comment on candidate names to replace derogatory names of geographic

02/26/2022

Madam Secretary formed a task force in November to rename natural features through the U.S. containing the derogatory term Sq***. I was excited but I didn’t know what that meant for me and my efforts.

Yesterday, I heard from U.S. Board on Geographic Names (USBGN) regarding the request to rename several features near Camp Verde. I worked with the Apache tribe and a couple of interested individuals on obtaining a replacement name for Sq*** Peak. The application we summited was to have this prominent mountain renamed to Porcupine Mountain along with surrounding features. I was working on another feature currently on the Barry Goldwater Air Force range with name Sq*** Tit. I contacted Tohono O’odham tribe because they historically occupied that territory but unfortunately did not get a replacement name. So I did not get a name proposed to the USBGN.

The good news is Madam Secretary is going to change 600 features containing the derogatory term Sq***. I am sure the states AZ, NM, CA, NV, NE that have mountains called Sq*** Tit will be included in getting renamed. And the proposal to change the features in Camp Verde are now in the hands of Madam Secretary. I hope they consider the name Porcupine Mountain.

See list provided by USBGN.

Gaz Web Application

02/24/2022

Sharing some news…Madam Secretary is following through on renaming offensive names throughout the US. See the latest in New Mexico. 👊🏽

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Thirteen sites in New Mexico will be renamed to remove a word many Native Americans find offensive. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has ordered the 660 spots across the…

01/20/2022

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/12/17/america-offensive-place-names/

Momentum in several states to rename mountains and streams that include derogatory terms such as “squaw” and “Negro” have been boosted by new orders from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

11/23/2021

Sharing some exciting news. Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland takes action with order No. 3404 on removing the derogatory term, “Sq**w” across the nation.

Working on renaming Arizona’s natural features along with other states that contain the derogatory term is going to get easier with this order.

Name change for features near Camp Verde, AZ has been summited in June 2021 to replace feature names containing the derogatory term with “Porcupine”. The Dilzhe’e People occupied that area historically and are still in that area. They know the prominent mountain “Sq**w Peak” as “Das zine das dahe” which means “Where the porcupine sits” and the people were known to be the Porcupine Mountain people clan.

There are 8 features near I-17 north of Black Canyon. Application to change 7 names was submitted in 2014 and still on the docket with US Board on Geographic Names. Working on adding a feature in same area that was not included in initial application.

Another inappropriately named feature, Sq**w Tit, is near the Isanaklesh Peaks, formally “Sq**w Tits” and that feature is located on the Barry Goldwater Air Force Range historical occupied by the Tohono O’odham nation.

Other states on renaming effort will be in California, New Mexico, Nevada, and Nebraska. All these states have at least one natural feature with the derogatory term and was inappropriately named “Sq**w Tit”.

06/15/2021

Squ*w Peak is a prominent mountain in Arizona. The summit sits near Camp Verde, AZ with an elevation of 6,526 ft. An elder and Director of the Apache Cultural Preservation of the Yavapai Apache Nation provided information about the People that lived in that area. He stated that the mountain was known to the Dilzhe’e as Das Zine das Dahe which means Where the Porcupine Sits and the People that lived in that area were known to be of the Poccupine Mountain People Clan.

The US Geo Names Board acknowledged request to change name to Porcupine Mountain.