Arizona Mountain Renamed for Fallen Native American Servicewoman (Feminazis: it's done deal)

Feminist Daily News Wire ^ | April 18, 2003

[Timesink]

Arizona Mountain Renamed for Fallen Native American Servicewoman

Feminist Daily News Wire
April 18, 2003

In the hopes of righting a historical wrong while honoring the first American servicewoman killed in Iraq, Squaw Peak in Arizona-- named for the derogatory term for Native American woman-- will now be called Piestewa Peak, after Private Lori Piestewa.

Piestewa, a member of the Hopi Tribe from Arizona, also was the first Native American servicewoman ever to be killed in the line of duty, according to the Associated Press. "I'm wondering if during her short life Army Pfc. Lori Piestewa was ever referred to as a squaw." It will never happen now. She has earned that much. Not just for herself, but for every woman like her," wrote Arizona Republic columnist E.J. Montini.

Despite charges of political posturing by Republicans, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano pushed for the mountain name change and encouraged the State Board on Geographic and Historic Names to waive its five-year waiting period. In a 5-1 vote yesterday, the board also recommended that Squaw Peak Freeway be renamed Lori Piestewa Freeway-- the State Board of Transportation could approve that change by the end of May.

Piestewa, 23, was a single mother raising a 4-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl. She was among the members of the Army?s 507th Maintenance Company, attacked March 23 when it made a wrong turn near Nasiriyah. Piestewa?s remains were recovered along with the bodies of seven other members of the 507th Company when Pfc. Jessica Lynch was rescued from an Iraqi hospital. Lynch and Piestewa were good friends and roommates, according to the AP.

Piestewa was one of 12,800 Native Americans and 56 Hopis serving in the US military-- it is unknown how many of those are women. Information on female Native American servicewomen is scarce, Brenda Finnicum, a retired career Army nurse and member of the Lumbee tribe who has spent the past five years trying to gather data on Native American women veterans, told the AP. "The men bring their military home with them and the women don't," Finnicum said. "Indian women are what I call the invisible warrior. You don't see them."

[Timesink]

I'm looking for confirmation of this ILLEGAL act.

[SamAdams76]

How did "squaw" ever come to be an offensive term? What are we supposed to call Indian women now?

[Aeronaut]

How did "squaw" ever come to be an offensive term?

I have heard from a credible source that squaw is a derrogutory term for a part of the female anatomy. There's an english word that starts with "c" that is similar.

[Redcloak]

"I'm wondering if during her short life Army Pfc. Lori Piestewa was ever referred to as a squaw."

I suspect not; wrong language. "Squaw" is a Massachusett word. Contrary to what most liberals think, not all Indians are the same. Nor do they all speak the same language. I don't know what the Hopi word for "young woman" is, but she was probably called that rather than "squaw".

[doosee]

Why would it be illegal. Anyway, any symbolic honor to this woman is a plus for us all. She died serving all of us.

[Brian S]

I'm looking for confirmation of this ILLEGAL act.

This should work. Personally, I have no problem with it. Way more important things to tend to.

It's official: Squaw Peak now Piestewa Peak to honor Hopi soldier

File photos The State Board on Geographic and Historic names approved renaming Squaw Peak in north-central Phoenix to Piestewa Peak in honor of Army Pfc. Lori Piestewa, the first female American Indian soldier to be killed in combat.

Board votes 5-1 to replace 'Squaw' moniker

Robbie Sherwood
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 18, 2003 12:00 AM

Squaw Peak in north-central Phoenix will be renamed Piestewa Peak.

The State Board on Geographic and Historic Names waived its five-year waiting period and approved the change by a 5-1 vote Thursday before a cheering crowd after a four-hour hearing.

The board sided with dozens of supporters who said that the word "Squaw" is offensive and that the mountain should be renamed after Army Pfc. Lori Piestewa, pronounced py-ESS-tuh-wah. The Hopi from Tuba City was the first female American Indian soldier to be killed in combat.

How soon the new name will appear on maps remains uncertain. It could take five years for federal geographic naming authorities to consider the change and reprint official maps.

For Arizona purposes, the name is now Piestewa Peak," said Tim Nelson, general counsel for Gov. Janet Napolitano, who argued for the change. "The confusing part is what happens now federally with our recommendation to change the name."

Worthy of honor

Nelson argued that a waiting period was not needed because the board had agreed more than five years ago that the name was offensive but just hadn't found an appropriate replacement. Piestewa, a mother of two who was killed in an ambush in Iraq, is worthy of the honor, Nelson said.

The board also recommended by the same 5-1 vote changing the Squaw Peak Freeway to the Lori Piestewa Freeway. The State Board of Transportation can now take up the matter and could officially approve the change by the end of May.

Retired Army Chaplain Caleb Johnson, a Hopi and friend of the Piestewa family, congratulated Napolitano on pressing for the name change, saying it took courage. He also said alternative ideas about naming a stadium or building after Piestewa in Tuba City were not appropriate.

"Those structures are not permanent, they can easily be torn down or destroyed," Johnson said. "But the peak will be here forever."

But Napolitano's insistence on the immediate name change also promises to shroud the board's decision in controversy. One member, Richard Pinkerton, resigned before the meeting in protest of what he called political pressure from Napolitano. Pinkerton's resignation letter said he would not "prostitute my integrity in the interest of satisfying a certain political venue."

And Board Chairman Tim Norton did not attend the meeting. Napolitano had asked him to resign last week when he initially refused to hear her petition for the name change.

Norton and Pinkerton were the board's two public members. In their absence, board member Lloyd Clark, a local historian and former Phoenix Gazette copy editor, was the only dissenting vote. He suggested the other board members, all state employees representing different agencies, were afraid of Napolitano.

"We are acting in haste," Clark said. "I am not a state employee so I have no fear. You are voting because your jobs depend on it."

Nelson said he knew of no political pressure put on the board by Napolitano. And board member Martin Pasqualetti, a geography professor at Arizona State University, strongly disagreed with Clark.

"I wouldn't care if the governor had made this proposal or a felon on death row made it, it is the right thing to do," he said.

A string of local politicians, including Phoenix Mayor Skip Rimsza and Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, argued for the name change. But the most poignant pleas came from American Indians, who said the change would both honor a fallen hero and remove a demeaning smudge.

"Bureaucrats can become so wrapped up in their rules that they fail in their mission," said Jessie Thompson, a Navajo and member of the Navajo County Board of Supervisors. "Lori Piestewa honored this state with her life. Allow Arizona to honor her with this name."

San Carlos Reservation resident Loren Victor got a rueful laugh from the crowd when he told the board, "Native American people have been the recipients of many broken treaties over the years. Let's break one more and rename that thing today."

Political football

But others in the crowd accused Napolitano of using the emotional and divisive issue as a political football.

"Using her death as a political platform is just wrong, and the governor has no right," said James Malenfant of Phoenix. "I think (Piestewa) would be appalled, shocked and embarrassed by the political pandering that is going on. It cheapens her honor."

The U.S. Board of Geographic Names must approve any naming or renaming of any geographic area, but states and local governments are not bound by their decision, said Karen Wood, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Va.

"If we don't pass something, it doesn't mean the state can't do it," she said. "But it won't be recognized by the federal government without the board's approval."

Wood said she was unaware of the federal policy ever being waived in special cases. The policy dates to 1981.

[hsmomx3]

I'd like to know what kind of bribery took place to put this on the fast track. Napo. needs to be RECALLED for breaking the law(s). 2006 cannot come soon enough.

[hsmomx3]

She's playing right out of Hillary's playbook. Everyone rolls over for her regardless if it is right or wrong.

[Timesink]

How soon the new name will appear on maps remains uncertain. It could take five years for federal geographic naming authorities to consider the change and reprint official maps.

In other words, everyone on earth except for the RATS of the AZ governor's office will ignore it. Good.

[mhking]

It isn't a done deal yet, at least according to the Arizona Republic/AZCentral.com....

[hsmomx3]

There's a five year waiting period but she pushed this thru in a matter of days. She also tried to get some guy on this board to resign because he was against it due to the current law.

[Timesink]

Why would it be illegal.

See post six. It is against federal law to rename any geographic sites until the person being named has been dead for five years. Lori hasn't been dead five WEEKS.

Anyway, any symbolic honor to this woman is a plus for us all. She died serving all of us.

I couldn't care less. To break the law in order to score feel-good points is evil right out of the Clinton playbook. And of course, the AZ governor is a Clintonite RAT.

[Dudesdad]

Janet NapalaReno strikes again!
That Arizona Republic was intrumental in trashing her opponent in the last election, then they have the gall to call me on the phone and try to get me to subcribe. I don't ask to be taken off of their list though, as I love giving the sales people an earful when they call.

[okie01]

They could've named a real mountain after Pvt Piestewa. Something with some stature, say on the Mogollon Rim. Or a major peak on familiar ground -- say, Stephens Butte or Zihi-Dush-Jhini on the Hopi Reservation.

Instead, they pick a pissant hill in metro Phoenix, 200 miles away from home -- solely because it's called Squaw Peak.

Who was best served by this? The Hopi Nation? The memory of Pvt Piestewa? Or the feminist agenda?

A petty and disgusting measure to assuage liberal ego, rather than honor Pvt Piestewa's service.

[LadyDoc]

Piestewa was one of 12,800 Native Americans and 56 Hopis serving in the US military

Sounds right to me. She died for her country, and too few people are aware of the many Indian veterans.

As for what we call American Indian woman now: the term would be Ma'am, or Miss, or Miss, or Captain, or Private, or Soldier, etc...

[FreedomCalls]

There's an awful lot of "Ronald Reagan This" and "Ronald Reagan That" and he's not even dead yet. I don't see what the problem is. If they get a waiver then it's not illegal. Piestewa Peak is a whole lot better name than Squaw Peak anyway. Reminding people that Piestewa gave her life in service to her country so that others could be free is not a bad thing -- freedom is not free and all that.

If Atlanta can suffer with a "Jimmy Carter Boulevard" all these years, we can certainly be grateful for the reminder of Piestewa's sacrifice for us.

[Timesink]

Sounds right to me. She died for her country, and too few people are aware of the many Indian veterans.

And to HELL with the law, right? As long as it makes the feminists feel good and gives Napolitano a better lock on the Native American vote. That's all that really matters. </sarcasm>

[WI Fire]

I think this may put the anti-war protesters into a quandry. If they support the name change, they might be thought of as supporting the war, but then again if they oppose the name change, and the mountain stays named Squaw Peak, it would look like they support "racist" names....

What to do....what to do....what to do....either way, it tarnishes their politically correct image.

[doosee]

It is against federal law to rename any geographic sites until the person being named has been dead for five years. Lori hasn't been dead five WEEKS.

Well, if a law has been violated it can be overturned. I remember when Clemente died unexpectedly helping Nicaragan refugees and the Hall of Fame waived the rules to vote him in immediately. I agreed with that override. Have to ponder this one a bit. Thanks for the clarification.

[Timesink]

There's an awful lot of "Ronald Reagan This" and "Ronald Reagan That" and he's not even dead yet. I don't see what the problem is.

Buildings != natural formations. It's that simple.

If they get a waiver then it's not illegal.

They didn't get a federal waiver.