Board won't waive 5-year wait to rename mountain

East Valley Tribune ^ | May 9, 2003 | Le Templar, Tribune

[Slip18]

A Phoenix mountain could end up with two official names until 2008 because federal officials aren't interested in waiving a rule that says someone must be dead for at least five years before a landmark can be renamed to honor that person.

But there was confusion Thursday on whether those officials will wait at the request of Gov. Janet Napolitano, or if they are rejecting her suggestion for immediate action to change Squaw Peak to Piestewa Peak.

[Slip18]

Squaw Peak shall remain Squaw Peak for another five years to the dismay of Gov. Janet Napolitano.

Laura Bush visited the Piestewa family yesterday. W

[Sacajaweau]

Sorry, the peak should remain Squaw Peak...

[TomGuy]

You really want to know?

Napolitano, Governor [female]
Brewer, Secretary of State [female]

Piestewa, Soldier [female]

Squaw Peak [Squaw being un-PC]

officials aren't interested in waiving a rule [remember, rules don't apply -- Napolitano is a Democrat]

[norton]

a. 'Squaw' irritates many of the locals
b. Locals and others who are justifiably proud of the lady
c. I think she was first native american female to die in
line of duty to USA (at least on record)
d. There will be hundreds of "Corporal Joe Somebody" roads,
highways, bridges, and quite possibly mountains across
the country
e. Folks in Arizona wanted to do it
f. It beats the hell out of being called 'baby killer' for
twenty years.

[Slip18]

I think the mountain should remain Squaw Peak, also.

[Slip18]

"e. Folks in Arizona wanted to do it"

Not this "folk." Sorry, Janet Napolitano was wrong to try and ram this down everyone's throat.

"f. It beats the hell out of being called 'baby killer' for twenty years."

What does that mean?

[norton]

U of Arizona '66
Vietnam '68

[Slip18]

Yes. Barry Goldwater Mt. has a good ring to it.

But what is wrong with "Squaw Peak"? There are so many other mountains around here with un-PC names. This is Arizona, for goodness sake.

[Nick Danger]

As one might imagine, there are hundreds of small businesses in the area called "Squaw Peak This" and "Squaw Peak That," from dry cleaners to pizza parlors to on-call plumbers. Then there are all the businesses on Squaw Peak Highway. Not everyone is thrilled with this, and it gets worse if there is any doubt, because nobody wants to spend hundreds of dollars on new signs, new stationery, etc., and then find out it was all a drill.

The newly Gannett-ized Arizona Republic would have us believe that this is a unanimous decision by the People of Arizona, but don't take bets on that. Barry Goldwater hasn't been dead for five years yet, so he still has nothing named after him. And now this. This woman is war hero and all, but there have been a lot of those; most don't get their own mountain. This is "PC" being rammed down people's throats. Don't believe everything you read in the paper.

[Slip18]

Oh, I see. That makes a lot of sense.

So we're naming a mountain after an American Native woman who died in combat because of the Vietnam War. Then we're waiving all the rules and regulations of naming a mountain because of the Vietnam War.

And because you're a graduate of UofA, that makes you a spokesperson for all of us.

[Slip18]

I looked in the telephone book right after Janet decided on the name change. There are hundreds of businesses with "Squaw Peak" in their ads.

The Lori Piestewa is a hero, granted, but as I said before on another thread:

Let's put up a memorial at the bottom of Squaw Peak for all of our troops in Arizona who have died during battle. And that goes for the Vietman War and WWII. I think it would be far more fitting than singling out one person, albeit the first Native American woman who has died in combat.

[Slip18]

Great history lesson, thank you, walkingman.

"It is as certain as any historical fact can be that the word squaw that the English settlers in Massachusetts used for 'Indian woman' in the early 1600s was adopted by them from the word squa that their Massachusett-speaking neighbors used in their own language to mean 'female, younger woman,' and not from Mohawk ojiskwa', 'vagina,' which has the wrong shape [sound], the wrong meaning, and was used by people with whom they then had no contact. The resemblance that might be perceived between squaw and the last syllable of the Mohawk word is coincidental."

That's the story I've always heard.

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

I'm from AZ. and although the name Squaw Peak has been a source of contention amongst the radicals for years, for most, it does not appear to be an issue at all. However, it is an issue with quite a few people at the cynical way in which Janet did this ploy. Even Janet admitted that it was done incorrectly and blamed a staff member for this. Anyway, even after the local commission changed it officially (before being overruled), everybody still called it Squaw Peak.

[Mike Darancette]

Wait the 5 years and name a Real Mountain (who was Humphries?) for her, one on or near her home or reservation.

In the meantime build a new school, hospital, day care center or other such on the reservation in her honor.

If this is just an excuse to placate the PC crowd rename "Squaw Peak" to "Native American Womyn Peak".

[Slip18]

"In the meantime build a new school, hospital, day care center or other such on the reservation in her honor."

Best idea I've heard.

[Slip18]

"Even Janet admitted that it was done incorrectly and blamed a staff member for this."

This is nasty, but from what I understand, the staff member contacted the agency that changes mountain names while Janet was out of town. The person who was on the agency (gosh, I can't remember which), was an LEO. He was threated with being fired if he didn't go along with Janet's wishes.

Yes, I guess Janet had to change her tune.