It was this last November when the US Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland signed an order declaring the word “Squaw” as derogatory, and procedures began to remove the word from federal geographic features and lands. Within Wisconsin there are currently 28 such geographic features identified by a task force as containing derogatory names targeted for replacement names.
One local Door County location which will be renamed soon is in a popular fishing area in Little Sturgeon Bay. What has been known for many years as “Squaw Island,” will be renamed and the public can now submit suggestions for its replacement name. From now through April 24th, you may submit your suggestions through the Department of the Interior’s federal E-rulemaking portal at https://www.regulations.gov/document/DOI-2022-0001-0001.
Again, those suggestions from the public are being welcomed through April 24th.
