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Six Aroostook County locations renamed to remove racial slurs

By Julia Bayly, Special to the BDN
Posted Sept. 05, 2011, at 7:37 p.m.
Last modified Sept. 05, 2011, at 9:24 p.m.
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FORT KENT, Maine — It has taken more than 10 years, but recent place name changes approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names have removed the final racial slurs from Maine maps.

The six locations, all in Aroostook County, are now named Scopan, Scopan Inlet, Scopan Knob, Scopan Lake, Scopan Mountain and Scopan Stream.

The new names incorporate “sco” to replace the letters “squa,” a homonym of “squaw” that roughly translates to “whore” in the native dialects of Maine’s Native American tribes.

In 2000, then-Gov. Angus King signed a bill into law requiring place names using the word “squaw” to be changed. In 2009, the Maine Legislature went one step further and passed LD 797, “An Act to Fully Implement the Legislation to Prohibit Offensive Place Names,” that took into account alternate spellings of the word “squaw.”

“It was a long time coming,” John Dieffenbacher-Krall, executive director of the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission, said. “I think that reflects the relative importance — or lack of importance — non-natives put on issues concerning [native] people.”

There are four recognized native tribes within Maine’s borders: the Penobscot Indian Nation, the Aroostook Band of Micmacs, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and the Passamaquoddy.

All six of the renamed locations are within Aroostook’s Unorganized Territory, so it fell to the county commissioners to complete the project.

“My tribe was contacted by the Aroostook County commissioners asking for tribal representation,” Brian Reynolds, tribal administrator for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, said. “I give kudos to the commissioners for contacting us early on so we could take part in the process.”

Reynolds said he consulted with tribal elders and linguistic experts for suggestions on new, culturally representative names.

At the same time, Reynolds said, the commissioners indicated to him they did not want to stray too far from the familiar with the new names.

“They told me they did not want to lose the feeling of the names,” he said. “But they also knew those existing names were really offensive.”

Paul Bernier, public works director for the Unorganized Territory in Aroostook County, was given the job of researching appropriate new names for the six locations.

“We got together some stakeholders from the tribes, town managers and other groups,” Bernier said. “We started to toss some names around and tried to stay as close as we could without being offensive.”

In the end, the commissioners went with names found on the oldest known map of Aroostook County in their possession.

“Scopan was on that old map,” Bernier said. “We decided to put that on the table and see how it would be received.”

While close to the existing pronunciation of the locations, tribal members involved in the process found no linguistic or blatant offensive connection to “sco.”

But Reynolds did say it did not go far enough.

“It still could be an English version of our word,” he said. “They really had good intentions to change the name and really did want to comply with the law, but in my view they only went halfway.”

The six locations were the last geographic place names in the state to meet the legislation’s compliance.

“That’s it, we’re done,” Dieffenbacher-Krall said, adding however, there is still work to be done when it comes to the use of native words or names in common culture.

“Sanford High School is still using Redskin as their mascot,” he said. “We are hopeful this year they will decide to change that.”

The recently renamed Aroostook County locations are:

• Scopan, located in the town of Masardis along US Route 11.

• Scopan Inlet, a 4-mile-long stream heading in to Castle Hill Township.

• Scopan Lake, located 14 miles southwest of Presque Isle.

• Scopan Stream, a 3.5-mile-long stream at the northwest end of Scopan Lake.

• Scopan Mountain, a 1,475-foot mountain 9.5 miles west-southwest of Presque Isle.

• Scopan Knob, the summit of Scopan Mountain.

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  • Anonymous

    I think any word even remotely associated with any “minority”, or if just one person doesn’t like the way a name is pronounced, needs to be removed and banned.  
    But then it will be determined discrimination.

  • Anonymous

    I think any word even remotely associated with any “minority”, or if just one person doesn’t like the way a name is pronounced, needs to be removed and banned.  
    But then it will be determined discrimination.

  • Anonymous

    You know what I think is offensive? All these minorities constantly getting offended over the tiniest things. It’s like us white Christians can’t even move an inch withoout offending all of them.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NNIZMC53H2WBMKRCGE4PVE7KCM Paul

    Thank the liberals of the country for this crap…the economy is in the tank and they are worried about this…It is an attempt to distract people from the real BS that is going on and to try to win votes…

  • Anonymous

    Gee, you poor, poor white christian.  Get over it.

  • Anonymous

    Gee, you poor, poor white christian.  Get over it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mit-Johnson/100001970960126 Mit Johnson

    Good, let’s take Mattawamkeag, mooselookmegunticook,Penobscot County and everything else that remotely even gives any  recognition of  any Native Americans right off every town, lake, street , etc till nobody even gives them credit for being ever residents of Maine. Then they will strive to be recognized until a new batch of HYPER SENSITVE NATIVE AMERICANS try to get them removed again. GOOD GRIEF!!! 

  • Anonymous

    Give me a stinkin break.  Remove ALL Indian names from everything.  That will fix it.

  • Anonymous

    Oh my word, see the  knuckle draggers come out to whine about minorities getting any concession to sensitivity AT ALL. 

    Poor white Christians, fwteagles! Are you serious?

    To quote John Stuart:” God willing, maybe one of you will rise up and become president of this country, or maybe 44 in a row.”

    Poor, poor white guys. Does it really put you out that the Natives would like some respectful language used towards their women? Are you that hard-headed and happy to offend others?  Do you love to say “squaw” that much that you Just.Don’t.Ge.t why that would be pretty nasty?

    So, so sick of people being jerks. You don’t give a damn who you offend, who you hurt, why that sucks, nothing. It’s all about you going Yehaw!

  • Anonymous

    Oh my word, see the  knuckle draggers come out to whine about minorities getting any concession to sensitivity AT ALL. 

    Poor white Christians, fwteagles! Are you serious?

    To quote John Stuart:” God willing, maybe one of you will rise up and become president of this country, or maybe 44 in a row.”

    Poor, poor white guys. Does it really put you out that the Natives would like some respectful language used towards their women? Are you that hard-headed and happy to offend others?  Do you love to say “squaw” that much that you Just.Don’t.Ge.t why that would be pretty nasty?

    So, so sick of people being jerks. You don’t give a damn who you offend, who you hurt, why that sucks, nothing. It’s all about you going Yehaw!

  • Anonymous

    you would think they would be proud of all of them names…….just saying

  • Anonymous

    you would think they would be proud of all of them names…….just saying

  • andy york

    While you’re at try asking those Native Americans how they feel about illegal immigration. I’m sure they feel your pain.

  • Anonymous

    Where is India?

  • andy york

    While you’re at try asking those Native Americans how they feel about illegal immigration. I’m sure they feel your pain.

  • Anonymous

    Where is India?

  • Anonymous

    Fungulo.

  • Anonymous

    Fungulo.

  • Anonymous

    Fungulo.

  • Anonymous

    Fungulo.

  • Anonymous

    Fungulo.

  • Anonymous

    It’s ridiculous.  If I were a county commissioner, I’d ditch the Scopan in favor of Jackson or Custer.  That would set them on the war path.

  • Anonymous

    It’s ridiculous.  If I were a county commissioner, I’d ditch the Scopan in favor of Jackson or Custer.  That would set them on the war path.

  • Anonymous

    It’s ridiculous.  If I were a county commissioner, I’d ditch the Scopan in favor of Jackson or Custer.  That would set them on the war path.

  • Anonymous

    It’s ridiculous.  If I were a county commissioner, I’d ditch the Scopan in favor of Jackson or Custer.  That would set them on the war path.

  • Anonymous

    It’s ridiculous.  If I were a county commissioner, I’d ditch the Scopan in favor of Jackson or Custer.  That would set them on the war path.

  • Anonymous

    It’s ridiculous.  If I were a county commissioner, I’d ditch the Scopan in favor of Jackson or Custer.  That would set them on the war path.

  • Anonymous

    It’s ridiculous.  If I were a county commissioner, I’d ditch the Scopan in favor of Jackson or Custer.  That would set them on the war path.

  • OldWench

    If some obnoxious troglodyte boneheads hadn’t chosen inappropriate names in the first place they never would have needed to be changed.  

  • OldWench

    Um…this isn’t about the word being a native word…places all over use native words.  It is the translation of the word that is an issue.  It’s an offensive word, no matter what language is used.

  • OldWench

    It’s not the word being native that makes it inappropriate…it’s the translation of the word.  No map should have anything on it that translates to “wh0re” mountain, lake, hill, lake, etc.

  • OldWench

    It’s not the word being native that makes it inappropriate…it’s the translation of the word.  No map should have anything on it that translates to “wh0re” mountain, lake, hill, lake, etc.

  • OldWench

    It’s not the word being native that makes it inappropriate…it’s the translation of the word.  No map should have anything on it that translates to “wh0re” mountain, lake, hill, lake, etc.

  • Anonymous

    I spent many of nights at SquaPan Lake and not once did I ever think I was swimming in a lake of “Indian Whores”….Come on people….with all the serious issues in the world this is what has taken 10 years and how much money spent on changing a name that might offend someone! I have part Indian in me (not enough to get free health care, college education or housing, or free vaccines for my children) but enough to say I am not offended by a location in Maine beginning with Squa!

  • http://twitter.com/pimagnum1 Tom Magnum

    According to Wikipedia, “squapan” means “bear’s den” and has nothing to do with the word “squaw”.

  • Anonymous

    They don`t seem to havwe a problem cashing those monthly checks from the goverment.
    This just a bunch of crap. Just rename my private lane to squaw way, try making me change it.
    Have a better chance of getting ice water in hell

  • Anonymous

    They don`t seem to havwe a problem cashing those monthly checks from the goverment.
    This just a bunch of crap. Just rename my private lane to squaw way, try making me change it.
    Have a better chance of getting ice water in hell

  • Anonymous

    You are so correct.

  • Anonymous

    You are so correct.

  • http://twitter.com/mjohnson16 Michael Johnson

    Why do reporters never ask the questions I’m curious about?

    What does Scopan mean? If it was on an old map then what did it reference? Date and source of this old map? When was it changed from Scopan to Squapan? Why was it changed from Scopan to Squapan in the first place? Was someone offended at the time? What other names were considered? Did it come down to a vote and what was the break down of that vote?
    Are the Abnaki offended for taking away their “bear’s den”?

  • http://twitter.com/mjohnson16 Michael Johnson

    Why do reporters never ask the questions I’m curious about?

    What does Scopan mean? If it was on an old map then what did it reference? Date and source of this old map? When was it changed from Scopan to Squapan? Why was it changed from Scopan to Squapan in the first place? Was someone offended at the time? What other names were considered? Did it come down to a vote and what was the break down of that vote?
    Are the Abnaki offended for taking away their “bear’s den”?

  • http://twitter.com/mjohnson16 Michael Johnson

    Why do reporters never ask the questions I’m curious about?

    What does Scopan mean? If it was on an old map then what did it reference? Date and source of this old map? When was it changed from Scopan to Squapan? Why was it changed from Scopan to Squapan in the first place? Was someone offended at the time? What other names were considered? Did it come down to a vote and what was the break down of that vote?
    Are the Abnaki offended for taking away their “bear’s den”?

  • Anonymous

    I never never grew up with it to be disrespectful.  I always thought it to be the normal way to be address the proper native women who worked on my grandfather’s potato farm.   Fast forward many years and I am sad to see the term is deemed to be disrespectful and worthy of eliminating.  I feel the native history of those places will be eliminated now that the native associations are gone. 

  • Anonymous

    Wasn’t Squa Pan Knob renamed Squapan Knob to get around this controversy a few years ago? Squapan means “bear’s den” to some translations. Now it’s changing from Squapan to Scopan.

    Why this new change? If “because it’s close to squaw” mattered, is “Scopan Knob” any better? It’s still close to “Squa Pan Knob” and “Squapan Knob”.

    Maybe name it “Politically Correct Knob” ? 

  • Anonymous

    Wasn’t Squa Pan Knob renamed Squapan Knob to get around this controversy a few years ago? Squapan means “bear’s den” to some translations. Now it’s changing from Squapan to Scopan.

    Why this new change? If “because it’s close to squaw” mattered, is “Scopan Knob” any better? It’s still close to “Squa Pan Knob” and “Squapan Knob”.

    Maybe name it “Politically Correct Knob” ? 

  • Anonymous

    Wasn’t Squa Pan Knob renamed Squapan Knob to get around this controversy a few years ago? Squapan means “bear’s den” to some translations. Now it’s changing from Squapan to Scopan.

    Why this new change? If “because it’s close to squaw” mattered, is “Scopan Knob” any better? It’s still close to “Squa Pan Knob” and “Squapan Knob”.

    Maybe name it “Politically Correct Knob” ? 

  • Anonymous

    Wasn’t Squa Pan Knob renamed Squapan Knob to get around this controversy a few years ago? Squapan means “bear’s den” to some translations. Now it’s changing from Squapan to Scopan.

    Why this new change? If “because it’s close to squaw” mattered, is “Scopan Knob” any better? It’s still close to “Squa Pan Knob” and “Squapan Knob”.

    Maybe name it “Politically Correct Knob” ? 

  • Anonymous

    Your private lane won’t show up on the maps in question. Years ago the National Congress of American Indians asked the geographical name board to eliminate “squaw” throughout the country. There was precedent for doing so: in 1963 and 1971, the board had eliminated terms offensive to blacks and Asians.

  • Anonymous

    I will never call it anything else but the original. Fact: The only people that will call it the new name will be from away. I will not give directions to anyone if they call it skopan. scopan? Where is that? When i get a new gazetteer i will cross out the new name.

  • Anonymous

    PC has run amuck again. If they were called N word lake etc of course change it As far as the translations go how many indigenous people can actually   speak the languages ?

  • Anonymous

    Found this article looking into the etymology of the word… http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/21/national/21MOOS.html

    So it was named “squapan” to get around “squa pan” being offensive… Still, I agree this latest name change is ridiculous!

  • Anonymous

    Found this article looking into the etymology of the word… http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/21/national/21MOOS.html

    So it was named “squapan” to get around “squa pan” being offensive… Still, I agree this latest name change is ridiculous!

  • Anonymous

    Found this article looking into the etymology of the word… http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/21/national/21MOOS.html

    So it was named “squapan” to get around “squa pan” being offensive… Still, I agree this latest name change is ridiculous!

  • Anonymous

    Found this article looking into the etymology of the word… http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/21/national/21MOOS.html

    So it was named “squapan” to get around “squa pan” being offensive… Still, I agree this latest name change is ridiculous!

  • Anonymous

    Found this article looking into the etymology of the word… http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/21/national/21MOOS.html

    So it was named “squapan” to get around “squa pan” being offensive… Still, I agree this latest name change is ridiculous!

  • Anonymous

    We poor, white “christians” have been the majority for a long time in this country and soon we will no longer be the majority…..let’s just hope the new majority treats us better than they were treated by us poor white “christian’s” ……cause wouldn’t it suk if they treated us like we treated them historically……what goes around comes around………

  • Anonymous

    They don’t care about that anymore. They like our society, if they didn’t they would move to the woods.

  • Anonymous

    They don’t care about that anymore. They like our society, if they didn’t they would move to the woods.

  • Anonymous

    They don’t care about that anymore. They like our society, if they didn’t they would move to the woods.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=690576119 Jerich Morey

    monthly checks???? if your referring to welfare  maybe you should do some research on how many more white people collect welfare in the state of Maine then Native Americans…. it is our land to  begin with….if we feel offended by something then change it if it wasn’t for us native’s all you Europe people would’ve starved to death PERIOD!!!!!! 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=690576119 Jerich Morey

    monthly checks???? if your referring to welfare  maybe you should do some research on how many more white people collect welfare in the state of Maine then Native Americans…. it is our land to  begin with….if we feel offended by something then change it if it wasn’t for us native’s all you Europe people would’ve starved to death PERIOD!!!!!! 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=690576119 Jerich Morey

    monthly checks???? if your referring to welfare  maybe you should do some research on how many more white people collect welfare in the state of Maine then Native Americans…. it is our land to  begin with….if we feel offended by something then change it if it wasn’t for us native’s all you Europe people would’ve starved to death PERIOD!!!!!! 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=690576119 Jerich Morey

    monthly checks???? if your referring to welfare  maybe you should do some research on how many more white people collect welfare in the state of Maine then Native Americans…. it is our land to  begin with….if we feel offended by something then change it if it wasn’t for us native’s all you Europe people would’ve starved to death PERIOD!!!!!! 

  • Anonymous

    Maybe if you white Christians would have feelings for someone other then yourself you wouldn’t feel so offended.

  • Anonymous

    Maybe if you white Christians would have feelings for someone other then yourself you wouldn’t feel so offended.

  • Anonymous

    Wow stereotype much????

  • Anonymous

     another waste of time

  • Anonymous

    Yeah- you’re some white guy who has like 1/99th % of Native American in him…..that doesn’t make you Native …..anymore than standing in your garage makes you a car…..DUH!

  • Anonymous

    Yeah- you’re some white guy who has like 1/99th % of Native American in him…..that doesn’t make you Native …..anymore than standing in your garage makes you a car…..DUH!

  • Anonymous

    Yeah- you’re some white guy who has like 1/99th % of Native American in him…..that doesn’t make you Native …..anymore than standing in your garage makes you a car…..DUH!

  • Anonymous

    Ok , Lets take “Squaw” or any other spelling of the word off the maps. I would think the Natives would be so very proud to have their native tongue included in the historic maps of Maine. I just don’t get it. What is the problem with “Squaw”.  I grew up with Mic-Mac’s.  They were very proud of who they were/are and I was glad to have them as friends.    In reply to “Notthatgirl”  –  You are a sick person, but, this is from a so called “knuckle dragger  ” who has lived on “SquawPan for  45″ years.

  • Anonymous

    Ok , Lets take “Squaw” or any other spelling of the word off the maps. I would think the Natives would be so very proud to have their native tongue included in the historic maps of Maine. I just don’t get it. What is the problem with “Squaw”.  I grew up with Mic-Mac’s.  They were very proud of who they were/are and I was glad to have them as friends.    In reply to “Notthatgirl”  –  You are a sick person, but, this is from a so called “knuckle dragger  ” who has lived on “SquawPan for  45″ years.

  • Anonymous

    Ok , Lets take “Squaw” or any other spelling of the word off the maps. I would think the Natives would be so very proud to have their native tongue included in the historic maps of Maine. I just don’t get it. What is the problem with “Squaw”.  I grew up with Mic-Mac’s.  They were very proud of who they were/are and I was glad to have them as friends.    In reply to “Notthatgirl”  –  You are a sick person, but, this is from a so called “knuckle dragger  ” who has lived on “SquawPan for  45″ years.

  • Anonymous

    That’s right kylieoo. If you want to name your private lane after your wife, daughter or mother go for it. 

  • Anonymous

    “It has taken more than 10 years, but recent place name changes approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names has removed the final racial slurs from Maine maps.”

    I’m pretty sure that “has” ought to be “have” — as in, “recent … changes … have removed…”

  • Anonymous

    “It has taken more than 10 years, but recent place name changes approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names has removed the final racial slurs from Maine maps.”

    I’m pretty sure that “has” ought to be “have” — as in, “recent … changes … have removed…”

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=690576119 Jerich Morey

    aint enuff woods to move back into…..thanks to your society the world is almost dead 

  • http://www.bangordailynews.com Bangor Daily News

    Thank you. This has been fixed.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=690576119 Jerich Morey

    why not ask what the native americans of maine and the residents of maine would like it changed to ????? 

  • Anonymous

    Where my father came from there was a brook named N*%##r Brook- it was named that because an African American man drowned (1800′s) while trying to cross the river where that particular brook enters into the river…..it’s now called Pelky Brook…….times change people.  Sq%#w is considered a derogatory name for a part of a woman’s anatomy…..we would use the C-word……does it REALLY matter that the names change?  The lake is still a lake, the mountain is still a mountain……it’s just a name…..it’s not a family name, not the name of some great Mainer, not the name of something important that happened……it’s just a name just like Pelky Brook was………and yes I’m a pasty white Mainer just as the rest of you seem to be…..

  • Kevin_Of_Bangor

    Yes, you poor white oppressed Christians. Amusing that you folks come out of the woodwork when you think you are being oppressed and this story doesn’t even have anything to do with you but yet, here you are.

    I flagged your comment and I hope others do as well.

  • Anonymous

    I read that and my wife and I laughed to tears.
    Absolutely great remark.
    Of course I would take it a bit further just to pluck a couple feathers from their war bonnets  and use “Andrew Jackson Lake, and “Welcome to General George Armstrong Custer Mountain”
    Wonderful, just wonderful. 

  • Anonymous

    I read that and my wife and I laughed to tears.
    Absolutely great remark.
    Of course I would take it a bit further just to pluck a couple feathers from their war bonnets  and use “Andrew Jackson Lake, and “Welcome to General George Armstrong Custer Mountain”
    Wonderful, just wonderful. 

  • Anonymous

    I have a camp at squa pan and I thought this was all decided back a few years ago. I  am offended that they changed it to begin with and then to change it again without even contacting the people that have property there. It won’t matter how many times you change the name, it will never satisfy  them.  It seems that somebody is always being “offended” put your big boy pants on and get over it. Life is not always fair and your not going to get everything you want in life, I think the whole thing is “SILLY”. When will it be enough ! I always show respect to other people no matter who they are or where they came from.  It’s too bad they couldn’t give back respect.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=690576119 Jerich Morey

    i think our big boy pants are on…and have been for a really long time and i think the tables are very very close to turning……….karma always makes it’s way back around

  • Anonymous

    “put your big boy pants on and get over it” followed by ” I always show respect to other people no matter who they are or where they came from” just doesn’t seem to jive with each other.

  • Anonymous

    “put your big boy pants on and get over it” followed by ” I always show respect to other people no matter who they are or where they came from” just doesn’t seem to jive with each other.

  • Anonymous

    I guess that you just don’t get it . But that doesn’t surprise me. Cause it’s all about “you’ !

  • Anonymous

    I guess that you just don’t get it . But that doesn’t surprise me. Cause it’s all about “you’ !

  • Anonymous

    I guess that you just don’t get it . But that doesn’t surprise me. Cause it’s all about “you’ !

  • Anonymous

    I guess that you just don’t get it . But that doesn’t surprise me. Cause it’s all about “you’ !

  • Anonymous

    I guess that you just don’t get it . But that doesn’t surprise me. Cause it’s all about “you’ !

  • Anonymous

    I guess that you just don’t get it . But that doesn’t surprise me. Cause it’s all about “you’ !

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_STFZ6H7IJFHYSUCS7SOZODY6JA Brian Stevens

    So you flagged a post you thought was ridiculous. I suppose that is one approach, but if everybody on here did that there would be no comments to read. It was far from the most offensive post on here at the time.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_STFZ6H7IJFHYSUCS7SOZODY6JA Brian Stevens

    So you flagged a post you thought was ridiculous. I suppose that is one approach, but if everybody on here did that there would be no comments to read. It was far from the most offensive post on here at the time.

  • Anonymous

    No wonder America is the laughing stock of the world. Millions unemployed, disasters crippling our nation, drug abuse, violence and the list goes on and we worry about the use of the name ” squa “. You PC people are stuck on —–.

  • Anonymous

    No wonder America is the laughing stock of the world. Millions unemployed, disasters crippling our nation, drug abuse, violence and the list goes on and we worry about the use of the name ” squa “. You PC people are stuck on —–.

  • Anonymous

    more pc bs, everyone needs to get over themselves already!

  • Anonymous

    Pelletier Brook ,, I know as I’m a descendant

  • Anonymous

    Thank you for oppressing my freedom of SPEECH. You prove my point exactly. Maybe I’ll call up the ACLU and ask them to defend me, oh wait! They only protect the liberties of socialists and liberals.

  • Anonymous

    Because that would take jobs and power away from our bureaucrats and politicians.

  • Anonymous

    i think its ridiculous i dont think it was named that to be in reference to an indian whore……..you know the indians talk about descrimination and such but i have an indian friend who doesnt mind when referencing to us as WHITE MAN, like oh we dont go on WHITE man land now to me that is just as racial as having squa as a name of a freaking road get a grip people

  • Anonymous

    i think its ridiculous i dont think it was named that to be in reference to an indian whore……..you know the indians talk about descrimination and such but i have an indian friend who doesnt mind when referencing to us as WHITE MAN, like oh we dont go on WHITE man land now to me that is just as racial as having squa as a name of a freaking road get a grip people

  • Anonymous

    i think its ridiculous i dont think it was named that to be in reference to an indian whore……..you know the indians talk about descrimination and such but i have an indian friend who doesnt mind when referencing to us as WHITE MAN, like oh we dont go on WHITE man land now to me that is just as racial as having squa as a name of a freaking road get a grip people

  • Anonymous

    i think its ridiculous i dont think it was named that to be in reference to an indian whore……..you know the indians talk about descrimination and such but i have an indian friend who doesnt mind when referencing to us as WHITE MAN, like oh we dont go on WHITE man land now to me that is just as racial as having squa as a name of a freaking road get a grip people

  • OldWench

    skuwikuwam is bear’s den.

  • OldWench

    skuwikuwam is bear’s den.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=690576119 Jerich Morey

    should’ve changed the name to moin mala…..
    micmac for bears den/home

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=690576119 Jerich Morey

    why take down the post of native americans defending themselfs but leaving alot of the stereotypical remarks still up?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=690576119 Jerich Morey

    why take down the post of native americans defending themselfs but leaving alot of the stereotypical remarks still up?

  • cougar 64

    Squaw is an English language loan-word, used as a noun or adjective, whose present meaning is an indigenous woman of North America. It is derived from the eastern Algonquian morpheme
    meaning ‘woman’ that appears in numerous Algonquian dialects variously
    spelled squa, skwa, esqua, sqeh, skwe, que, kwa, ikwe, exkwew, xkwe, etc.  Look at the states of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma for instance.  Streets, Cities, Counties are named after Indians.  This is pure crazyness and stupidity at its finest.

  • cougar 64

    Squaw is an English language loan-word, used as a noun or adjective, whose present meaning is an indigenous woman of North America. It is derived from the eastern Algonquian morpheme
    meaning ‘woman’ that appears in numerous Algonquian dialects variously
    spelled squa, skwa, esqua, sqeh, skwe, que, kwa, ikwe, exkwew, xkwe, etc.   I see nothing offensive listed here.  If a squaw is not a woman, then what is she, a he.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Maine.Scallywag Kevin McGarry

    There are thousands of Native American dialects and I believe, at least 10 language groups in all. Squaw is not an offensive word in 90% of those languages. Hell, I read the same crap in almost every section of the country. How can 1 word be the same to totally unrelated groups thousands of mile from each other. This is political correctness run amuck. “Oh you can’t use that word because I’m offended”  is pretty much all you hear now. Grow up and remember the old adage, Sticks and stones!

  • cougar 64

    I still call Moose Mountain Big Squaw and Little Squaw Mountains.  What is so offensive about the word Squaw.  A squaw is a woman is she not.  Last time I knew she was a woman, but in todays world it could be a he/she.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Maine.Scallywag Kevin McGarry

    Oh and 1 more thing, If Redskin is so terrible, I don’t want to be referred to as “White man” either! I cold take offense at that!

  • cougar 64

    Squaw is an English language loan-word, used as a noun or adjective, whose present meaning is an indigenous woman of North America. It is derived from the eastern Algonquian morpheme
    meaning ‘woman’ that appears in numerous Algonquian dialects variously
    spelled squa, skwa, esqua, sqeh, skwe, que, kwa, ikwe, exkwew, xkwe, etc.  Squaw is not a derogatory name for a part of a woman’s anatomy.  That must be something new they are teaching in school thesedays.  Back in my days here in Maine, a Squaw was a woman and that is all that it meant.Don’t get your facts a twisted up there.

  • cougar 64

    No, it will be called political correctness.

  • Anonymous

    They took down several posts

  • http://twitter.com/joncob Jon Coburn

    still to be renamed include Ni– wait…Monson…

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_BE5K4BY6CK2TFMMTWIM5B22ZOE David

    Doesn’t matter. It’ll be several generations before the old names stop being used among many (if not most) locals, just like us old-timers still refer to that college in Orono as UMO.

  • Anonymous

    I’m neither for nor against the name changes. It is what it is.
    BUT why rename something so similarly? It drives me mad how many Albany’s and Bangor’s and Concord’s, Manchester’s, Bethel’s and so many more there are. Why can’t they name anything originally? I can’t think of any town named Zigamajiggity, why don’t they use that?
    :P

  • Anonymous

    my hope is that this only changes on maps, i really hope people wont take to calling it that just to spare the delicate sensibilities of some native americans. Absolutely stupid.

  • Anonymous

    my hope is that this only changes on maps, i really hope people wont take to calling it that just to spare the delicate sensibilities of some native americans. Absolutely stupid.

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/AAAOAVNP2X7YFLH72UCSKXKKYM Barry L

    While the PC police are at it, I feel the road known as Goose Pecker Ridge in Montville needs to be changed. I find it highly offensive that this road is named in reference to the phallus of a certain ornothological creature.

  • Anonymous

    Who really gives a crap about all this theres enough BS going on in the world without worrying about Indian slurs.

  • Anonymous

    Pockwockamus Rock  must be removed.

  • Pete Schwetty

    WTF!!!!

  • Anonymous

    Govnah, We need a new sign,  Maine The  Way Life Has Changed Us.

    http://www.pressherald.com/news/Maine-a-mecca-for-gay-couples_2011-09-04.html

  • Anonymous

    Thank you, Aroostook County, for some common decency and sensitiivity.  You did the right thing.  The comments from the folks like Mit Johnson, below, lack respect and I apologize for him to others who are offended by his comments as I was.  

  • Anonymous

    Oh but it keeps the poor pitiful Indians in the news, who are no more “native” than anyone else born here. I agree, change all the names or none. How long will it be before the next name change is required?

  • Anonymous

    I wonder who is going to take that word out of all the old John Wayne movies?

  • Anonymous

    I’m sure a lot of folks will sleep better tonight as a result these name changes.  Unemployment stuck at 9.1%, local, state, and federal governments broke, no consensus  in D.C. on how to fix the economy, but here in Maine, we have Whoopie Pies and PC names on all places,  relevant or trivial. What a great place to live in!

  • Anonymous

    it has a different name?

  • Anonymous

    it has a different name?

  • Anonymous

    i guess we need to rename squamos cell cancer cause the native americans might think that we are saying that indian whores are the ones who will get it

  • Anonymous

    what a waste of time and resources

  • Anonymous

    We can rename it goose cloaca.

  • AionNV

    I’m from “The County”, and my recollection of the usage of the word growing up there is that it was almost always used in a derogatory or demeaning manner.  I have no recollection of an instance of it being used to mean merely “woman”.  

    We knew better than to say it around mom.I find the remarks here insisting that the word is so neutral and benign to be almost desperate sounding – really, how is it are you all so oblivious and stubbornly, deeply in denial ?

  • acadiashores

    I find it odd that I tried to post a comment using the same words the article did and it says a moderator has to review my post before it posts.   How annoying

  • AionNV

    Why is the most ignorant and backwards comment is always the first ?

    We all know how backward and racist Mainer’s can be towards American Indians, do we have to be perpetually embarrassed by it ?

  • acadiashores

    I will call it UMO until I die.  Just to be spiteful mostly. lol

  • Anonymous

    Here we go again, what is next to be removed or change?  First scopan, then pan, then ??

  • Anonymous

    It is?  How many of us true native Mainers knew that?  I, and thousands more know it now, we never paid any attention to the word and now it is being advertised through that ridiculous and costly move.  Being that I am a senior citizen, do you really and honestly believed I am going to stop using the name and passing it down to my children and grandchildren?  He– no!

  • Anonymous

    And money!!

  • Anonymous

    Don’t you dare apologize for me, I’m not Johnson, but my feelings and opinions are mine, how dare you try to put yourself up and above someone as if you are morally superior!!

  • Anonymous

    What a joke to rename, I will sleep better because of it ya think?

  • Anonymous

    I grew up in Maine as a Metis (half Micmac/French) and was proud of the fact that so many locations in the state had Native names. I believe that very few Native people are offended until the politically correct police told us to be offended. Just as you white eyes wiped out our people , very soon there will be no history of us nor any reminders that we even existed. Just leave us alone!

  • Anonymous

    I would not live anywhere that I felt that I was surrounded by “ignorant” “backward” “racist” people. Perhaps you should consider going back where you came from.
    Anyone born and raised here has had their fill of being held responsible for something that our ancestors may or may not have done to the Indian’s ancestors. Nobody alive today owes any Indian alive today a single thing.

  • Anonymous

    I think it’s a very nice, POLITICALY CORRECT, gesture…..otherwise, kind of silly…..

  • Anonymous

    AionNV…nobody is denying anything. Do you know for a fact that it wasn’t an Indian who named it in the first place? What about all the other places? Did the Indians name all those, but not this place?
    Would you be for or against renaming all places to avoid some future translation that the Indians themselves do not yet know the meaning of?

  • Anonymous

    I think you have it backwards. It is not the white people that are complaining about the names.

  • Anonymous

    lets remove mit johnson’s comment from BDN website because he’s hyper sensitive to change…!!!!!!

  • Anonymous

    lets remove mit johnson’s comment from BDN website because he’s hyper sensitive to change…!!!!!!

  • Anonymous

    lets remove mit johnson’s comment from BDN website because he’s hyper sensitive to change…!!!!!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Todd-Foster/686645014 Todd Foster

    Should have changed it to “fryingpan” and be done with it.  How many more times is this one going to offend someone and we’ll have to spend more time and money to change it?

  • Anonymous

    What ever happened to “Sticks and Stones can break my bones, but names can never hurt me.”? I think a lot of people are becoming a little too thin-skinned in a day when there are far more serious things to worry about.

  • Anonymous

    As a Native person who is also native to this state, I am glad this has been done. Not to erase us as a people, but to take a posture of respect. To refer to us as the “poor pitiful Indians” shows your ignorance and racism. As for being “no more native” than anyone who was born here… you again show your ignorance. We were quite simply NOT immigrants. When did your family tree get transplanted to Maine soil?

    Also, many Wabanaki (the larger umbrella under which the individual tribes exist) do not find the word “squaw” offensive. It’s root is “skwa” which is the feminine ending to many of our words, such as the phrase “Alnobaskwania,” which translates to “I am an Abenaki woman.” Just so you know. 

    When you comment on these things in the future, perhaps take a little time to research what you are saying. That way you don’t come up against something about which you know little or nothing.

  • Anonymous

    look in your refrigerator or in your medicine cabinet… much of what we eat and use as medicinal support came from the tribes. And to say “go back where you came from” is really stupid. We were here first, not immigrants.

  • Anonymous

    Don’t pay attention to Wikipedia for your definition… according to my Wabanaki dictionary, bear’s den is “wogwas” or for plural it is “wogwasal” These words would be altered slightly according to which tribal group of the Wabanaki is speaking.

    However, I personally do not find offense in the “squa” portion of words  for the reasons I mentioned in my reply to OSO above. 

  • Anonymous

    great and thorough reply, Cougar. I do not find it offensive either.

    Alnobaskwania! 

  • Anonymous

    I don’t really think most Natives give a damn one way or the other.  However, it provides a means to illustrate without a doubt that bigotry is alive and well in Maine just under the surface. And, it apparently works.

  • Anonymous

    PC BS

  • AionNV

    You seem to think that you speak for all of us born and raised in Maine.  

    You do not.

  • AionNV

    Except that the word is not an English word.

  • AionNV

    i will not eat green eggs and ham my name is sam.

  • Anonymous

    Because you say people are ignorant, backwards and racists it most be so!

  • AionNV

    And the point in repeating the same thing over and over again ?  You could at least bother to be accurate.

  • Anonymous

    It must mean female bear’s den…

  • Anonymous

    Kevin, I am agreeing with you one one point: there are many dialects wherein the use of “squaw” or derivatives of it are not offensive. I myself am not offended. (I am Abenaki). However, to say that words don’t hurt is incorrect. We have to become more sensitive to one another I think as a way to build bridges between cultures. We stop using the N word because that word has painful history. We (hopefully) do not disparage people with words that hurt (although there is a tendency to disparage Muslims and other “foreigners” with wide acceptance right now). I think we are better than this. Certainly words do hurt. I have a hunch that whoever came up with that old adage you quoted was a bully who wanted an excuse for his/her bad behavior. 

    At any rate, changing the names is a mixed bag. There was enough upset apparently to warrant the changes. Some will accept them and some will not. But redrawn maps will reflect the change. It is what it is. There is more to worry about than fighting over this.

  • Anonymous

    Kevin, I am agreeing with you one one point: there are many dialects wherein the use of “squaw” or derivatives of it are not offensive. I myself am not offended. (I am Abenaki). However, to say that words don’t hurt is incorrect. We have to become more sensitive to one another I think as a way to build bridges between cultures. We stop using the N word because that word has painful history. We (hopefully) do not disparage people with words that hurt (although there is a tendency to disparage Muslims and other “foreigners” with wide acceptance right now). I think we are better than this. Certainly words do hurt. I have a hunch that whoever came up with that old adage you quoted was a bully who wanted an excuse for his/her bad behavior. 

    At any rate, changing the names is a mixed bag. There was enough upset apparently to warrant the changes. Some will accept them and some will not. But redrawn maps will reflect the change. It is what it is. There is more to worry about than fighting over this.

  • Anonymous

    Kevin, I am agreeing with you one one point: there are many dialects wherein the use of “squaw” or derivatives of it are not offensive. I myself am not offended. (I am Abenaki). However, to say that words don’t hurt is incorrect. We have to become more sensitive to one another I think as a way to build bridges between cultures. We stop using the N word because that word has painful history. We (hopefully) do not disparage people with words that hurt (although there is a tendency to disparage Muslims and other “foreigners” with wide acceptance right now). I think we are better than this. Certainly words do hurt. I have a hunch that whoever came up with that old adage you quoted was a bully who wanted an excuse for his/her bad behavior. 

    At any rate, changing the names is a mixed bag. There was enough upset apparently to warrant the changes. Some will accept them and some will not. But redrawn maps will reflect the change. It is what it is. There is more to worry about than fighting over this.

  • Anonymous

    Kevin, I am agreeing with you one one point: there are many dialects wherein the use of “squaw” or derivatives of it are not offensive. I myself am not offended. (I am Abenaki). However, to say that words don’t hurt is incorrect. We have to become more sensitive to one another I think as a way to build bridges between cultures. We stop using the N word because that word has painful history. We (hopefully) do not disparage people with words that hurt (although there is a tendency to disparage Muslims and other “foreigners” with wide acceptance right now). I think we are better than this. Certainly words do hurt. I have a hunch that whoever came up with that old adage you quoted was a bully who wanted an excuse for his/her bad behavior. 

    At any rate, changing the names is a mixed bag. There was enough upset apparently to warrant the changes. Some will accept them and some will not. But redrawn maps will reflect the change. It is what it is. There is more to worry about than fighting over this.

  • Anonymous

    Kevin, I am agreeing with you one one point: there are many dialects wherein the use of “squaw” or derivatives of it are not offensive. I myself am not offended. (I am Abenaki). However, to say that words don’t hurt is incorrect. We have to become more sensitive to one another I think as a way to build bridges between cultures. We stop using the N word because that word has painful history. We (hopefully) do not disparage people with words that hurt (although there is a tendency to disparage Muslims and other “foreigners” with wide acceptance right now). I think we are better than this. Certainly words do hurt. I have a hunch that whoever came up with that old adage you quoted was a bully who wanted an excuse for his/her bad behavior. 

    At any rate, changing the names is a mixed bag. There was enough upset apparently to warrant the changes. Some will accept them and some will not. But redrawn maps will reflect the change. It is what it is. There is more to worry about than fighting over this.

  • Anonymous

    Kevin, I am agreeing with you one one point: there are many dialects wherein the use of “squaw” or derivatives of it are not offensive. I myself am not offended. (I am Abenaki). However, to say that words don’t hurt is incorrect. We have to become more sensitive to one another I think as a way to build bridges between cultures. We stop using the N word because that word has painful history. We (hopefully) do not disparage people with words that hurt (although there is a tendency to disparage Muslims and other “foreigners” with wide acceptance right now). I think we are better than this. Certainly words do hurt. I have a hunch that whoever came up with that old adage you quoted was a bully who wanted an excuse for his/her bad behavior. 

    At any rate, changing the names is a mixed bag. There was enough upset apparently to warrant the changes. Some will accept them and some will not. But redrawn maps will reflect the change. It is what it is. There is more to worry about than fighting over this.

  • Anonymous

    again…. good post Cougar.

    My fun with these names is hearing white folks pronounce them. 

  • Anonymous

    again…. good post Cougar.

    My fun with these names is hearing white folks pronounce them. 

  • Anonymous

    There may be some who feel that replacing squaw with sco is still offensive because it’s not a big enough change.  They may feel that it still harkens back to squaw and revives bad memories.  They should have used something else, almost anything else, for example “Ho.”  Then we could have Hopan, Hopan Inlet, Hopan Knob, etc.  That’s not only shorter than “Sco”, but has a nicer sound.

  • AionNV

    Do you know for a fact that it was ?  Does it matter ?

    What do all the other Indian names that have no derogatory meaning or usage have to do with anything, other than your own little personal racist agenda to disrespect native peoples ?

  • AionNV

    Well, Somebody has to !

  • Anonymous

    Then stop acting like poor pitiful Indians. Respect is earned not given. As far as family trees go, your people have been riding on the coattails of your ancestors for long enough. The people alive today should not be responsible for their ancestors actions. If my great great grandfather committed a murder and was never caught, should I then be held responsible for it today?
    I am far from racist. I just think it’s time for all to be equal and enough of the special privileges. I would even go so far as to be in favor of all the special privileges for any “full blooded” Indians, but the people who are not full blooded, are no more native than anyone else. So…can you tell me how many full blooded Penobscots there are today? How about the Passamaquoddy?

  • Anonymous

    the slur “squaw” is derogatory…bout damn time!!! Maine is trying ever so hard to get up with the times….all we need to do now is impeach LePage…

  • Anonymous

    Just to give you a little background here: the word as whites used it evolved from “alnobaskwa” (Wabanki woman). When whites heard that being used by the native people themselves ABOUT themselves, they made the leap to “oh that’s what they call their women? OK I will shorten it to “squaw” which was an easy way to say a word they could not fully pronounce. The pejorative end to it was not so much the word, but the lack of dignity shown to those women (and the men and children too). At one point there was a bounty on native people ( men women and children) here in Maine (dead or alive). I think any group who was disparaged and threatened and harmed like that deserves a little sensitivity and not just a few apologies.  
    I think that your grandfather probably meant no disrespect. But others on this comment board are clearly not being respectful.

    This is a good discussion, a “teachable moment”

  • Anonymous

    I had heard that the ancestors of Native American Indians originally came from Asia?

  • Anonymous

    indeed

  • AionNV

    Whatever happened to it ?  I don’t know, you’ve repeated here like what, 3 times ?

  • Anonymous

    that was never meant to represent native women… it is Latin in origin

  • Anonymous

    How do you say this?  N*%##r  and Sq%#w.   If your going to write an opinion use english.  This pc crap is sickning.  

  • AionNV

    I heard that the ancestors of Europeans originally came from Mesopotamia !  OMG !

  • Anonymous

    Those were originally Native American place-names  . . .

  • Anonymous

    nice to see the phrase for bear’s den in the Micmac language?

    Wliwni!

  • Anonymous

    nice to see the phrase for bear’s den in the Micmac language?

    Wliwni!

  • Anonymous

    It wasn’t the white man that made them squaws. It was the native Americans that would have gladly traded their women for liquor, a rifle or a warm blanket. That is the truth of the matter. Their society was so different from ours  that we  wouldn’t even recognize it.

  • AionNV

    Racism in Maine rears it’s ugly and embarrassing head, again.

    If your great grandfather committed a murder that you have benefited from, then yeah, you should show a little more deference and perhaps grow yourself a soul, maybe pull your head out and take a deep breath and settle down, it’s not like changing the names of a few places that you never even go to or have probably never even been to slightly is some sort of assault on your personal rights.

    You’re still free to be just as racist and disrespectful as usual !

  • AionNV

    Are you in middle school ?

  • Anonymous

    Well, and before that, all of our ancestors supposedly came from Africa. Does that mean that Africans are the true Native Americans?

  • Anonymous

    Maybe they were smarter than us honkies?

  • Anonymous

    Maybe they were smarter than us honkies?

  • OldWench

    8theqte8 isn’t acting poor or pitiful.  In fact, they posted in a very polite, courteous and calm manner.  You, on the other hand, are acting in quite a pitiful way, and with seething contempt towards someone who was nothing but polite to you.  There are actually a lot of full blooded tribal members in Maine.  

  • OldWench

    8theqte8 isn’t acting poor or pitiful.  In fact, they posted in a very polite, courteous and calm manner.  You, on the other hand, are acting in quite a pitiful way, and with seething contempt towards someone who was nothing but polite to you.  There are actually a lot of full blooded tribal members in Maine.  

  • OldWench

    8theqte8 isn’t acting poor or pitiful.  In fact, they posted in a very polite, courteous and calm manner.  You, on the other hand, are acting in quite a pitiful way, and with seething contempt towards someone who was nothing but polite to you.  There are actually a lot of full blooded tribal members in Maine.  

  • OldWench

    8theqte8 isn’t acting poor or pitiful.  In fact, they posted in a very polite, courteous and calm manner.  You, on the other hand, are acting in quite a pitiful way, and with seething contempt towards someone who was nothing but polite to you.  There are actually a lot of full blooded tribal members in Maine.  

  • OldWench

    8theqte8 isn’t acting poor or pitiful.  In fact, they posted in a very polite, courteous and calm manner.  You, on the other hand, are acting in quite a pitiful way, and with seething contempt towards someone who was nothing but polite to you.  There are actually a lot of full blooded tribal members in Maine.  

  • clamcove

    Good move, slow coming, great to get the tribal input on the changes.

  • Anonymous

    It’s all PC nonsense designed to keep Native Americans classified as “victims” and subsequently get them more welfare.  I thought the land claims boondoggle was supposed to wedge them off the government nipple.  Didn’t work did it?

  • Anonymous

    Now, if only the benighted residents of Indianapolis and Indiana will get with the times, it may only be a short while before we can fully scrub our lexicon of all cultural derivatives. And maybe, just maybe, we can release the quivering mass of tender souls from the suffocation of being eternally offended, or eternally guilt-riven for feeling responsible for such heinous offense.

  • OldWench

    I have a grandchild who is a member of one of the Maine tribes.  Their other grandmother is full native and she finds it offensive.  The term was used in a derogatory way and for those who are old enough to either remember or experienced first hand the traumatic “Indian schools,”  are often deeply offended by what they perceive as disrespect and maligning through the use of certain words.  

  • Anonymous

    The point is, it’s just another thing in the long list of what the Indians want. They obviously can’t even agree on what the word actually means.
    When will it be enough? When do we stop with the, what our ancestors did to their ancestors BS?

  • OldWench

    Stop quoting wikipedia…anyone can write anything on wikipedia without it being verified. It’s not reliable.

    You are also wrong.  The term came from the word otsikwaw, which refers to a woman’s genatilia.  Immigrants of European descent purposely mispronounced the word to disrespect natives and further dehumanized natives by calling native women this term.  People have tried to sanitize the meaning over the years to defend using it…but it’s simply NOT okay.

  • Anonymous

    me too lol

  • OldWench

    Stop quoting wikipedia and read some native history on the subject.

    http://www.thepeoplespaths.net/Articles2000/Soctomah991220Squaw.htm

  • Downeasta

    In our political correctness we are losing our history and what made us whom we were.  Not saying it was right to be derrogatory.  Society is becoming too sensitive of each others feet.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah like I’m really going to write the N-word or the C-word or another word that is offensive to people (i.e. S-word)….take a deep breath you’ll be ok……lol

  • Anonymous

    Actually, a study by National Geographic says that the Indians were not the first people on this continent. The older remains were from Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, and do not resemble today’s Indians what so ever. So then, who do today’s Indians owe? Who’s land did they take over? How far back in history is the appropriate distance to look? Of course today’s Indians only want to look back in history far enough to benefit themselves.  
    http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/09/0903_030903_bajaskull.html

  • Anonymous

    “I am far from racist.” Yeah, 2 words away, to be precise: I am..racist.

  • Anonymous

    squa or skwa, depending on the author of a dictionary for a theretofore unwritten language’s suffix pronounced ‘skwah’, is the Algonquian suffix denoting the feminine gender of a noun. In original usage it was not derogatory. However, once the sound was expropriated by Puritans, it came in the fullness of time and further West derogatory.

  • Anonymous

    Growing up is hard and requires a fair amount of work. Give it a try.

  • Anonymous

    Growing up is hard and requires a fair amount of work. Give it a try.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TJYZV7JWWJCPG7BX65EM6UOHZ4 Skowhegan Resident

    THIS SHOULD BE THE LEGACY OF GOVERNOR KING:

    In 2001 then Governor King approved for WALMART over $25 million dollars in Maine money in tax breaks, government subsides and goodies which quickly blossomed to over $58 million dollars.

    http://wc-rd.org/Articles/BrokenPromises.cfm

  • Anonymous

    Good point. Further, those Mesopotamians got there by way of Africa, the ancestral homeland of us all.  

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TJYZV7JWWJCPG7BX65EM6UOHZ4 Skowhegan Resident

    Native Americans were not native to America. They immigrated from Siberia crossing the Bering Strait land bridge.

    Everyone are immgrants to America, even ‘Native Americans’.

  • Anonymous

    All of this is too much.  Everyone is so worried about offending someone else.  Well people the past is past ond if you are offended by a school mascot or a town. lake, bridge or road named hundreds of years ago get some freaking counceling and get over yourself.  LIFE IS NOT FAIR!  IT IS NOT ALL ROSES AND RAINBOWS, as a matter of fact sometimes it downright sucks.  Live with it.

  • Anonymous

    American Indian women and men all around the United States and Canada reject the use of the word squaw in reference to American Indian women. The word has been imposed on our culture by European Americans and appears on hundreds of geographic place names. Suzan Shown Harjo brought the issue to national attention on the Oparh Winfrey Show back in 1992. Since that time projects to eliminate the use of the word on geographic sites have formed in Minnesota (Dawn Litzau and Angelene Losh), in Arizona (Delena Waddle and Seipe Flood), in California (Stormy Ogden), and in Iowa (Fawn Stubben). Many other states are forming groups to erradicate the use of the word from geographic place names and women’s sports teams.
            1.When people argue that the word squaw appears in the dictionary, remind them that the word is also identified as derogatory. The Thesaurus of Slang lists the term squaw as a synonym for prostitute, harlot, hussy, and floozy.
            2.When people argue that the word originates in American Indian language point out that:
    In the Algonquin languages the word squaw means vagina.
    In the Mohawk language the word otsikwaw means female genitalia. Mohawk women and                men found that early European fur traders shortened the word to squaw because that                represented what they wanted from Mohawk women.
                   Although scholarship traces the word to the Massachusset Indians back in the 1650s, the                word has different meanings (or may not exist at all) in hundreds of other American Indian                languages. This claim also assumes that a European correctly translated the Massachusset                language to English–that he understood the nuances of Indian speech.
                   Attitudes of white supremacy account for the need of seperate identifing terms such as                squaw and buck. In order to justify the taking of the land, American Indian women and men                had to be labled with dehumanitizing terms. Europeans and European Americans spread                the use of the word as they moved westward across the continent.  
            3.When people say “it never used to bother Indian women to be called squaw, respond with the           following questions and statement.
                   Were American Indian women of people ever asked? Have you ever asked an American                Indian woman, man, or child how they feel about the word? (Do not say the word yourself,                simply call it the “s” word) then state that it has always been used to insult American                Indian women.  
            4.When people ask “why now?” explain that:
                   Through communication and education American Indian people have come to understand                the derogatory meaning of the word. American Indian women claim the right to define                ourselves as women and we reject the offensive term squaw.
    (taken from the web page of American Indian Movement, Southern California Chapter)
    “American Indians are a living people NOT mascots”
      

  • http://www.facebook.com/Maine.Scallywag Kevin McGarry

    8theqte8, I agree with you. But don’t you think this whole “I’m offended” thing has gone way overboard? I mean, really, it’s just words. Don’t we have a society that is too sensitive about everything? If you are offended by something someone says or does, just let it go. I think we are way too hyper-sensitive at this point. You mentioned the N word. Well if they are so terribly offended by it’s use, then why do they use it in so many songs and when talking to each other. It’s because it’s only offensive if someone else says it. Namely white people. That’s not right. I have spent time with thousands of Native Americans all over the west, south and east. None of them EVER mentioned they were offended by the term Squaw. Not in all the time I was with them.

  • Anonymous

    My wife is a native American, and it kinda saddens her to think that all of the names of historical signifigance are being changed. If I were a native, I would be proud to be an Indian and the fact that sometinng were named after my ancestors. The school mascot issue also pops into mind. Since when did the name Indian or Brave become politically incorrect?

  • Anonymous

    Being somewhat new to this particular newspaper, I do not know if OSOKRecon is a troll looking to start a fight for the sake of his/her adrenalin or jollies, but here goes anyway. I have Yankee ancestors who got kicked out of Plymouth/Massachusetts Bay for religious deviance and founded Providence, RI and the Baptist Church nevertheless establishing religious freedom there. 

    Along the way to today (and closer to today than to then) one of that line managed to marry a woman whose ancestors had been in New England at least since the end of the ice age, thus at a time before the Greek, Persian, Macedonian, or Roman Empires were even thought of, and at least 8,000 years before the birth of Jesus.  To say that she and her clan, band and tribe and their collective descendants are “no more native” than anyone else here in 2011 is to deprive the word “native” of any meaning.Now just to maybe ring your chimes a little, I invite you to consider that many of our Latino immigrant brothers and sistsers have some little or lot of Native American in them as well, as the Spanish immigrants to Florida, Mexico and points south were somewhat less bigoted than the Puritans and later Euro immigrants. Lot of Azteka and other Western Hemisphere genes in from-down-south Latinos. The only sense in which no one is any more native than anyone else covers anyone at all born in the United States whether of citizen parents, green card parents, or ‘illegal’ parents. If you accept a Latino child born here of parents who sneaked into the US as equally ‘native’ to you, then I will understand that by native you mean nothing more than short-hand for ‘born in the U S of A.’

    And then I will say OK, but there’s a few million of us who are more Native than you.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Maine.Scallywag Kevin McGarry

    Human nature is to disparage and feel threatened by anything or anyone that is not like you. It will always be so. You can not change the natural tendency of people to want to associate and to relate to those that look, act, and talk them themselves. That is why blacks tend to hang with blacks and white with whites. It is part of our genetic makeup. Remember people, we are all animals. We have a specific genetic predisposition towards protection of our species and our cultures. I’m terribly sorry if this offends you, but that’s the way it is and will always be.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Maine.Scallywag Kevin McGarry

    Human nature is to disparage and feel threatened by anything or anyone that is not like you. It will always be so. You can not change the natural tendency of people to want to associate and to relate to those that look, act, and talk them themselves. That is why blacks tend to hang with blacks and white with whites. It is part of our genetic makeup. Remember people, we are all animals. We have a specific genetic predisposition towards protection of our species and our cultures. I’m terribly sorry if this offends you, but that’s the way it is and will always be.

  • Anonymous

    Sounds to me that the old Original Native Americans “made a land transfer” to the ancestors of the New (current) Native Americans.

  • Anonymous

    No argument with you, cougar 64, about the true meaning of the word or sound. And the spelling differences are only that in large measure, regarding any Algonquian  word with a prefix or suffix so pronounced. 

    However, as the sound travelled first to the Mohawk (Magwak in Western Abenaki being the sound borrowed by colonists and applied to people who did not call themselves Mohawk) where it was used a little derogatorily and still further west where is was used very derogatorily, it did become synonymous with ‘loose woman.’ So it’s Euro-American usage of the sound Out West that did the damage.

    Where I presently live west of the Mississippi, if one were to call a woman a squaw her husband would clobber that one.

  • Anonymous

    Hmm, squapan means bears den. Interesting. That makes sense why there is a Squapan Road on the UM campus.

  • Anonymous

    I guess I missed the memo I never thought of Squa Pan Lake to mean Indian prostitute I always thought it was a lake.

  • Anonymous

    It’s the University of Maine. “at Orono” was dropped 25 YEARS AGO. Stop being stupid and get the name right.

  • Anonymous

    hahahaha….. NO

  • Anonymous

    Male geese, poor things, don’t have one of those apparati 

  • Anonymous

    I wonder when they wil have to change the names of (Squaw Valley) and (Squaw Creek) in California and Texas?

  • Anonymous

    I wonder when they wil have to change the names of (Squaw Valley) and (Squaw Creek) in California and Texas?

  • Anonymous

    It doesn’t matter what is offensive to “plain white Americans”.  It only matters what is offensive to self proclaimed minorities.  It seems ironic that all this fuss over things such as renaming things with “squaw” keep the self proclaimed minorities in the spot where they don’t want to be……..or do they?    When will “they” see that it’s really the plain old white Americans that are actually the minority here?  When can I get my free health insurance and college education?  I was born right here on Maine soil, just like “them”!  But, because I’m just a plain white American, I must work and pay my own way and forego health insurance because I am the minority!

  • Anonymous

    It doesn’t matter what is offensive to “plain white Americans”.  It only matters what is offensive to self proclaimed minorities.  It seems ironic that all this fuss over things such as renaming things with “squaw” keep the self proclaimed minorities in the spot where they don’t want to be……..or do they?    When will “they” see that it’s really the plain old white Americans that are actually the minority here?  When can I get my free health insurance and college education?  I was born right here on Maine soil, just like “them”!  But, because I’m just a plain white American, I must work and pay my own way and forego health insurance because I am the minority!

  • Anonymous

    It doesn’t matter what is offensive to “plain white Americans”.  It only matters what is offensive to self proclaimed minorities.  It seems ironic that all this fuss over things such as renaming things with “squaw” keep the self proclaimed minorities in the spot where they don’t want to be……..or do they?    When will “they” see that it’s really the plain old white Americans that are actually the minority here?  When can I get my free health insurance and college education?  I was born right here on Maine soil, just like “them”!  But, because I’m just a plain white American, I must work and pay my own way and forego health insurance because I am the minority!

  • Anonymous

    So that means that we owe you what… because generations ago, ancestors that you do not know were here? Would you agree that it was a much different culture then, and wars and conquering was the way it was done back then all over the world, not only here?
    As far as an illegal alien having a child on American soil, and therefore are a citizen…they may not be native, but if they work and pay taxes here, they have inherited a debt to the Indians. Someone who is an adult, and moved here a week ago from Europe, and has a job, and pays taxes, has also inherited a debt to the Indians. 

  • Anonymous

    So that means that we owe you what… because generations ago, ancestors that you do not know were here? Would you agree that it was a much different culture then, and wars and conquering was the way it was done back then all over the world, not only here?
    As far as an illegal alien having a child on American soil, and therefore are a citizen…they may not be native, but if they work and pay taxes here, they have inherited a debt to the Indians. Someone who is an adult, and moved here a week ago from Europe, and has a job, and pays taxes, has also inherited a debt to the Indians. 

  • Anonymous

    So that means that we owe you what… because generations ago, ancestors that you do not know were here? Would you agree that it was a much different culture then, and wars and conquering was the way it was done back then all over the world, not only here?
    As far as an illegal alien having a child on American soil, and therefore are a citizen…they may not be native, but if they work and pay taxes here, they have inherited a debt to the Indians. Someone who is an adult, and moved here a week ago from Europe, and has a job, and pays taxes, has also inherited a debt to the Indians. 

  • Anonymous

    If your idea of racist means that its time to forget what happened many generations ago, and finally just all be equal, then yes I am guilty.
    There is nothing racist about anything I’ve said.

  • Anonymous

    Kevin,

    I don’t think you can use the verb, “hang” in the same sentence as you did. I’m certain someone will take offense.

    At the same time, I’m fascinated by the number of popular black commedians or rappers who consider it okay to include the N-word in their jokes and lyrics.

    As a Caucasian, I’m offended by the phrase, “It’s just a white lie”!

  • Anonymous

    I actually liked one suggestion that sites named Squaw be changed to Squall…

  • Anonymous

    I actually liked one suggestion that sites named Squaw be changed to Squall…

  • Anonymous

    Exactly!  This is the thing the befuddles me!  Indeed, when did it become offensive to name something after a race?    

  • Anonymous

    Exactly!  This is the thing the befuddles me!  Indeed, when did it become offensive to name something after a race?    

  • Anonymous

    In a recent trip along the Lewis & Clark Trail, I was surprised to find that the explorers where exposed to STD’s when camped for the winter across from a Native Settlement not far from the Washington coast.

    While I’m certain STD’s were already known to Europeans and folks Back East, I can’t imagine they were not already widly spread by many Native mores and folkways.

    Perhaps “loose woman” was a term applied by one culture, dominated by Puritinism, to practices they found most different.

    I also believe our current notion of “monogamy” didn’t apply to Native Peoples in the South Pacific as well.

  • Anonymous

    I can’t argue with your research and conclusions.

    At the same time, it is truly a sad time when a culture with potentially wonderful and enlightened history to be held up for emulation is suffereing the “unintended consequences” of being eliminted from the American culture.

    Call it what you will, but changing the Husson Braves to the Husson Eagles disparages the local Native People’s choice of praising founder Husson with the title of Chief Husson.

    I’ll be too bad that 100 years from now, Americans will enjoy so little knowledge of America’s Native Peoples as more and more is erased from our lexicon.

  • Anonymous

    I can’t argue with your research and conclusions.

    At the same time, it is truly a sad time when a culture with potentially wonderful and enlightened history to be held up for emulation is suffereing the “unintended consequences” of being eliminted from the American culture.

    Call it what you will, but changing the Husson Braves to the Husson Eagles disparages the local Native People’s choice of praising founder Husson with the title of Chief Husson.

    I’ll be too bad that 100 years from now, Americans will enjoy so little knowledge of America’s Native Peoples as more and more is erased from our lexicon.

  • Anonymous

    I can’t argue with your research and conclusions.

    At the same time, it is truly a sad time when a culture with potentially wonderful and enlightened history to be held up for emulation is suffereing the “unintended consequences” of being eliminted from the American culture.

    Call it what you will, but changing the Husson Braves to the Husson Eagles disparages the local Native People’s choice of praising founder Husson with the title of Chief Husson.

    I’ll be too bad that 100 years from now, Americans will enjoy so little knowledge of America’s Native Peoples as more and more is erased from our lexicon.

  • Anonymous

    I can’t argue with your research and conclusions.

    At the same time, it is truly a sad time when a culture with potentially wonderful and enlightened history to be held up for emulation is suffereing the “unintended consequences” of being eliminted from the American culture.

    Call it what you will, but changing the Husson Braves to the Husson Eagles disparages the local Native People’s choice of praising founder Husson with the title of Chief Husson.

    I’ll be too bad that 100 years from now, Americans will enjoy so little knowledge of America’s Native Peoples as more and more is erased from our lexicon.

  • Anonymous

    Yes UM zero as we called when I went there…..and UMPI was DUMPI…..not really the same thing is it?

  • Anonymous

    What’s wrong with Scopan? I guess i’m too young to get it? lol

  • Anonymous

    What’s wrong with Scopan? I guess i’m too young to get it? lol

  • Anonymous

    What’s wrong with Scopan? I guess i’m too young to get it? lol

  • Anonymous

    What’s wrong with Scopan? I guess i’m too young to get it? lol

  • Anonymous

    WOW…Someone is a bitter racist P.O.S.!

  • Anonymous

    Let’s “re-name” the State of Maine back to Massachusetts and then “re-name” all the city & town so nobody will know where anything is anymore.

  • Anonymous

    I personally don’t feel like I need to apologize for what my ancestors have done (I’m white btw) and I raise my kids to respect people for who the are not the color of their skin…just as my parents raised me. However, that isn’t to say that I wasn’t taught to acknowledge the centuries of oppression nonwhites have faced in the name of self-indulgence and dominance. Even in this day and age, whites have an advantage over minorities…so much so, that most are oblivious to that fact because they’ve NEVER had to deal with racism. Whites have never had to face the adversity nonwhites have, nor are we negatively ‘profiled” because of our skin color. Minorities have always been marginalized in this country. So it’s not so much about taking personal responsibility for what out ancestors have done, but accepting it as fact and recognizing how whites have benefited from it for years. Quite honestly, after reading some of these comments it’s the whites coming off with an over-inflated ego wrapped in an undeserved sense of entitlement because they fear losing their place in society as the “majority.”

  • Anonymous

    I personally don’t feel like I need to apologize for what my ancestors have done (I’m white btw) and I raise my kids to respect people for who the are not the color of their skin…just as my parents raised me. However, that isn’t to say that I wasn’t taught to acknowledge the centuries of oppression nonwhites have faced in the name of self-indulgence and dominance. Even in this day and age, whites have an advantage over minorities…so much so, that most are oblivious to that fact because they’ve NEVER had to deal with racism. Whites have never had to face the adversity nonwhites have, nor are we negatively ‘profiled” because of our skin color. Minorities have always been marginalized in this country. So it’s not so much about taking personal responsibility for what out ancestors have done, but accepting it as fact and recognizing how whites have benefited from it for years. Quite honestly, after reading some of these comments it’s the whites coming off with an over-inflated ego wrapped in an undeserved sense of entitlement because they fear losing their place in society as the “majority.”

  • Anonymous

    I personally don’t feel like I need to apologize for what my ancestors have done (I’m white btw) and I raise my kids to respect people for who the are not the color of their skin…just as my parents raised me. However, that isn’t to say that I wasn’t taught to acknowledge the centuries of oppression nonwhites have faced in the name of self-indulgence and dominance. Even in this day and age, whites have an advantage over minorities…so much so, that most are oblivious to that fact because they’ve NEVER had to deal with racism. Whites have never had to face the adversity nonwhites have, nor are we negatively ‘profiled” because of our skin color. Minorities have always been marginalized in this country. So it’s not so much about taking personal responsibility for what out ancestors have done, but accepting it as fact and recognizing how whites have benefited from it for years. Quite honestly, after reading some of these comments it’s the whites coming off with an over-inflated ego wrapped in an undeserved sense of entitlement because they fear losing their place in society as the “majority.”

  • Anonymous

    Actually you were immigrants at one point you may have been here longer but you certainly came from somewhere other than the americas.  The origin of humans is not the americas.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XJJB4XHAMZLXQVNALEYLZQBU4A Paul H

    Does it even occur to them that the use of native americans as mascots is out of respect??

  • Robert Jackson

    There is no Squapan Road on the UMaine campus.

  • Anonymous

    Love those broad brushes … all those ‘native Americans’ were/are all alike, selfish men and loose women trading sex for goods … 

    “wasn’t the white man that made them squaws”Thank you, Mainely Maine for proving beyond a reasonable doubt that ‘squaw’ has become a negative. Did you know that all you Bastaniak/Soyáapo are bigots?

  • Anonymous

    Love those broad brushes … all those ‘native Americans’ were/are all alike, selfish men and loose women trading sex for goods … 

    “wasn’t the white man that made them squaws”Thank you, Mainely Maine for proving beyond a reasonable doubt that ‘squaw’ has become a negative. Did you know that all you Bastaniak/Soyáapo are bigots?

  • Anonymous

    n***** bridge rd in palmyra was not changed to gale rd until 1995

  • Anonymous

    Ah, another set of all-you-Indians-are-just-alike’ labels, and “all you Indians are on welfare” and all you Indians are something bad.  Land claims are a boondoggle (just who lived here when the Puritans landed, anyway?)  Government nipple. How many pejorative labels do you have?

    I have some bad news for you, bdneck, the only government money I ever received was a military salary and benefits, medical care after wounded and until well, and lately Social Security and Medicare, just like other Americans. (Oh, and a college degree and two graduate degrees, but I didn’t have any government grants or loans for that.)

  • Anonymous

    Ah, another set of all-you-Indians-are-just-alike’ labels, and “all you Indians are on welfare” and all you Indians are something bad.  Land claims are a boondoggle (just who lived here when the Puritans landed, anyway?)  Government nipple. How many pejorative labels do you have?

    I have some bad news for you, bdneck, the only government money I ever received was a military salary and benefits, medical care after wounded and until well, and lately Social Security and Medicare, just like other Americans. (Oh, and a college degree and two graduate degrees, but I didn’t have any government grants or loans for that.)

  • Anonymous

    I’m just wondering (setting all sarcasm aside) why you are glad this happened (or I suppose, support this) even though it doesn’t actually seem to be an offensive word? Is it that some tribes interpret the word to be offensive and some don’t? I’d like to actually know more about this subject before I make a judgement based on a bunch of offended white people that usually push this stuff because they have nothing better to do (not biased, just been around way too many people who don’t like the fact that they are white and wish they were something else). Any elaboration on this 8theqte8 would be appreciated, thanks.

  • Anonymous
  • Anonymous

    So we have to name things according what may be offensive referencing to EVERY dictionary now in the world?  Common? It almost seems like someone is actually trying to ERASE any connection to the “Indians” in this state rather than erasing racism.  I am of Passamaquoddy Heritage and I do not feel the “OLD” names as racist…. If we change every town to a generic name, there would be no obvious link to the “Indians”

  • Anonymous

    Those different tribes speak different Algonquian languages.  Some of their languages are no longer spoken natively.  This is why they can’t give you a single meaning. 

    However, as far as I know, the English word “squaw” is an offensive term for an Indian woman, so it’s probably being eliminated because of its meaning in English, as were other racial slurs in historic place names.

  • Anonymous

    We can even go beyond place names.  How about scomous cell carcinoma instead of squamous cell carcinoma or scob for squab?

  • Anonymous

    Political correctness running amok

  • Anonymous

    As far as you know is this a term that is actively used in the region to offend Indian Women?? Or is this a term that was used at some point to describe them?

  • Anonymous

    Maybe we should just use “this place” for whereever we are, “overthere” for a location we can point to, and “somewhere else” for every other place. I can not imagine anyone being insulted by these place names.

  • Anonymous

    There are worse things to be…if you get my meaning.

  • Anonymous

    I don’t think this article is about any race being indebted to another.  It looks more like it’s about place names that are offensive to a minority in the US.  We tend to change those names whenever the issue comes up, so that we don’t have offensive place names.

    That study wasn’t done by National Geographic.  There’s a lot of literature about migration to North and South America, and at this point it all theories accept that there were multiple migrations to the continents.  I don’t know how any of that is relevant to discussions about rights for Native Americans, but when a government tries to exterminate a race, and then realizes that it was immoral to do, that is where the debt comes in.

  • Anonymous

    Until someone else finds something to carp about.

  • Anonymous

    You realize Wiki isnt an acceptable or reliable source of informantion dont you? There isnt a school in the US that will even allow students to use it as a cited source because ANYONE can edit the information used. Citing Wiki in one breath and in another telling folks “not to get their facts twisted” is a bit moronic. It makes you sound uninformed….just sayin…

  • Anonymous

    Where are we, in North Dakota? Next you tell me Lenard Peltier actaully shot an FBI. Funny they never found the gun. How about that? And you guys are worried about a name change. vas temps, fait de do la mes petits enfants de chien.

  • Anonymous

    Where are we, in North Dakota? Next you tell me Lenard Peltier actaully shot an FBI. Funny they never found the gun. How about that? And you guys are worried about a name change. vas temps, fait de do la mes petits enfants de chien.

  • Anonymous

    Where are we, in North Dakota? Next you tell me Lenard Peltier actaully shot an FBI. Funny they never found the gun. How about that? And you guys are worried about a name change. vas temps, fait de do la mes petits enfants de chien.

  • Anonymous

    Where are we, in North Dakota? Next you tell me Lenard Peltier actaully shot an FBI. Funny they never found the gun. How about that? And you guys are worried about a name change. vas temps, fait de do la mes petits enfants de chien.

  • Anonymous

    That is why I’ve always really liked the Canadian term “First Nations”. It really is the most accurate term for what the people are. They were the first people to develop (in some fashion) nations on this continent.

  • Anonymous

    That is why I’ve always really liked the Canadian term “First Nations”. It really is the most accurate term for what the people are. They were the first people to develop (in some fashion) nations on this continent.

  • Anonymous

    examples ?  Im thinking about my fridge and medicine cabinet and nope not that much of a link

    Food – hemlock teas Inner pine bark ( vitamin C winter food) ,  Acorn meal, sweet flag, indian tobbacco, indian potato, Catail – pollen, leaves, root etc- nope doubt thats in mmany fridges.

    Lets see medicines- hawtorne berry, pitcher plant juice. cow parsnip root, blue flag root  nope, maybe Cranberry , maybe witch hazel

  • Anonymous

    ok if it is time to change offensive names how about “Cracker” barrel.Cracker  seems to be a demeaning word to white people we should petition the chain and ask them to change it to something less offensive to us

  • Anonymous

    Hm- I don’t know.  I’ve only heard it in cartoons and movies. Same as ‘coon’.

    I don’t know that it matters whether it’s used now or not though.   We don’t keep place names that have ‘coon’ in them either. 

    You could search for the word on here and look through the results.  http://corpus.byu.edu/coca/  I don’t know if there’s a good way to select for offensive force in the usages.  I wish I knew more!

  • cougar 64

    The Basic Meaning and Etymology of the
    Word

    The English word “squaw” was
    borrowed from the Algonquian language family of a few Indian tribes in Canada
    and New England and first appeared in the American vocabulary around 1634.1  
    It has been used in literature and historical documents for much of
    this country’s history.  The Massachusett/Algonquian word means “young
    woman.”   The word is unknown in the languages of Native Americans of
    the Western and Midwestern United States.
    “Squaw” has been a familiar
    word in American literature and language since the 17th century and
    has always been normally understood to mean “an Indian woman or wife.”
    The term as commonly used contains no disrespect to Indian women any more than
    the words “woman” or “wife” do to Anglo-American women.
    The
    controversy over the use of the word “squaw” appears to have started
    in 1973 with the book Literature of the American Indian, by Thomas
    E. Sanders and Walter W. Peek. Sanders and Peek are members of two different
    Indian Nations in Florida. Although they are not linguists, their book puts
    forth a rather racist and inflammatory accusation about the origin of the word
    ‘squaw’:

    That curious concept of
    “squaw,” the enslaved, demeaned, voiceless childbearer, existed
    and exists only in the mind of the non-Native American and is probably a
    French corruption of the Iroquois word otsiskwa meaning “female sexual
    parts,” a word almost clinical both denotatively and connotatively. The
    corruption suggests nothing about the Native American’s attitude toward
    women; it does indicate the wasichu’s view of Native American women in
    particular if not all women in general.2

    There are several serious problems with
    this statement:

    All
    English and Native American linguists agree that there is absolutely no
    connection between the Mohawk [Iroquoian] word otsiskwa (also
    spelled ojiskwa) and the
    Algonquin word squa.3
    One scholar writes “I am reliably told that Mohawk speakers do not
    equate the English word with their word and take no offense at the English
    word on that account.”4

    It
    accuses non-Native Americans of having a low opinion of Native American
    women. I do not believe the majority of whites ever held this attitude.

    It accuses the “wasichu”5
    of applying a vulgar term to Native American women.

    The statement has anti-Anglo
    undertones, as demonstrated not only by the implication of the statement but
    also by calling the whites “wasichu.”

    In a 1992 appearance on the Oprah
    Winfrey Show, Indian activist Susan Harjo broadcast this erroneous but
    inflammatory theory to a national audience, inflating it in the process. Harjo
    stated in part:

    “The word ‘squaw’ is an
    Algonquin [sic] Indian
    word meaning vagina, and that’ll give you an idea of what the French and
    British fur trappers were calling all Indian women, and I hope no one ever
    uses that term again”6

    Ms. Harjo is a Cheyenne & Hodulgee
    Muscogee Indian and is largely responsible for a 1992 lawsuit against Pro
    Football teams that use Indian names.7 
    I’m sure her comment was successful in stirring public outrage against her
    political opponents. The fact remains, however, that the word doesn’t mean
    what she claims.
    Since the word “squaw” has
    never been a part of the native vocabulary in the western three-quarters of the
    nation, the only way the Indians in the Southwest can form an opinion of the
    word is by observing how it is used in the English language and listening to the
    teaching of linguistic “authorities.” I believe that, until the
    occurrence of the two events mentioned above, the word ‘squaw’ was
    considered a completely acceptable word by both Native and non-Native Americans.

  • cougar 64

    The Basic Meaning and Etymology of the
    Word

    The English word “squaw” was
    borrowed from the Algonquian language family of a few Indian tribes in Canada
    and New England and first appeared in the American vocabulary around 1634.1  
    It has been used in literature and historical documents for much of
    this country’s history.  The Massachusett/Algonquian word means “young
    woman.”   The word is unknown in the languages of Native Americans of
    the Western and Midwestern United States.
    “Squaw” has been a familiar
    word in American literature and language since the 17th century and
    has always been normally understood to mean “an Indian woman or wife.”
    The term as commonly used contains no disrespect to Indian women any more than
    the words “woman” or “wife” do to Anglo-American women.
    The
    controversy over the use of the word “squaw” appears to have started
    in 1973 with the book Literature of the American Indian, by Thomas
    E. Sanders and Walter W. Peek. Sanders and Peek are members of two different
    Indian Nations in Florida. Although they are not linguists, their book puts
    forth a rather racist and inflammatory accusation about the origin of the word
    ‘squaw’:

    That curious concept of
    “squaw,” the enslaved, demeaned, voiceless childbearer, existed
    and exists only in the mind of the non-Native American and is probably a
    French corruption of the Iroquois word otsiskwa meaning “female sexual
    parts,” a word almost clinical both denotatively and connotatively. The
    corruption suggests nothing about the Native American’s attitude toward
    women; it does indicate the wasichu’s view of Native American women in
    particular if not all women in general.2

    There are several serious problems with
    this statement:

    All
    English and Native American linguists agree that there is absolutely no
    connection between the Mohawk [Iroquoian] word otsiskwa (also
    spelled ojiskwa) and the
    Algonquin word squa.3
    One scholar writes “I am reliably told that Mohawk speakers do not
    equate the English word with their word and take no offense at the English
    word on that account.”4

    It
    accuses non-Native Americans of having a low opinion of Native American
    women. I do not believe the majority of whites ever held this attitude.

    It accuses the “wasichu”5
    of applying a vulgar term to Native American women.

    The statement has anti-Anglo
    undertones, as demonstrated not only by the implication of the statement but
    also by calling the whites “wasichu.”

    In a 1992 appearance on the Oprah
    Winfrey Show, Indian activist Susan Harjo broadcast this erroneous but
    inflammatory theory to a national audience, inflating it in the process. Harjo
    stated in part:

    “The word ‘squaw’ is an
    Algonquin [sic] Indian
    word meaning vagina, and that’ll give you an idea of what the French and
    British fur trappers were calling all Indian women, and I hope no one ever
    uses that term again”6

    Ms. Harjo is a Cheyenne & Hodulgee
    Muscogee Indian and is largely responsible for a 1992 lawsuit against Pro
    Football teams that use Indian names.7 
    I’m sure her comment was successful in stirring public outrage against her
    political opponents. The fact remains, however, that the word doesn’t mean
    what she claims.
    Since the word “squaw” has
    never been a part of the native vocabulary in the western three-quarters of the
    nation, the only way the Indians in the Southwest can form an opinion of the
    word is by observing how it is used in the English language and listening to the
    teaching of linguistic “authorities.” I believe that, until the
    occurrence of the two events mentioned above, the word ‘squaw’ was
    considered a completely acceptable word by both Native and non-Native Americans.

  • Anonymous

    Than you missed an opportunity.  UMO is free to those who claim Native American heritage. 

    I would welcome with open arms, instead of checkbook, the “native Americans” who want to be American first, serve this country and participate in its opportunities as well as its responsibilities.  Unfortunately that is inconsistent with claims of being a “sovereign nation” within this country complete with separate laws, courts, reservations, financial benefits  and ethnically based rights. 

    The “we were here first”  argument is specious.  First, you are immigrants too, from Asia.  Secondly, you are a conquered, defeated political entity; just as native Americans fought for land and resources between themselves throughout history and pre-history.  It is a reality that in war, the winner gets the spoils.  Third, is your claimed primacy of place the moral or legal equivalent of “right” for all things and all time?  If so, those English pilgrims you mock have a superior claim to America’s riches and positions of power to all the yellow, black or brown immigrants who came after them.

    Clearly the accident of  being first to any place can not establish an hereditary, racial or ethnic basis for preferential treatment in a democracy.  The claim is fundamentally racist.

    So I extend a welcome hand to you and yours who want to join our American society as full fledged members and renounce all the separatist rhetoric and legal claims you make whenever convenient.  Try it, and become a member of a truly great and proud Nation.

  • Anonymous

    Than you missed an opportunity.  UMO is free to those who claim Native American heritage. 

    I would welcome with open arms, instead of checkbook, the “native Americans” who want to be American first, serve this country and participate in its opportunities as well as its responsibilities.  Unfortunately that is inconsistent with claims of being a “sovereign nation” within this country complete with separate laws, courts, reservations, financial benefits  and ethnically based rights. 

    The “we were here first”  argument is specious.  First, you are immigrants too, from Asia.  Secondly, you are a conquered, defeated political entity; just as native Americans fought for land and resources between themselves throughout history and pre-history.  It is a reality that in war, the winner gets the spoils.  Third, is your claimed primacy of place the moral or legal equivalent of “right” for all things and all time?  If so, those English pilgrims you mock have a superior claim to America’s riches and positions of power to all the yellow, black or brown immigrants who came after them.

    Clearly the accident of  being first to any place can not establish an hereditary, racial or ethnic basis for preferential treatment in a democracy.  The claim is fundamentally racist.

    So I extend a welcome hand to you and yours who want to join our American society as full fledged members and renounce all the separatist rhetoric and legal claims you make whenever convenient.  Try it, and become a member of a truly great and proud Nation.

  • Anonymous

    Than you missed an opportunity.  UMO is free to those who claim Native American heritage. 

    I would welcome with open arms, instead of checkbook, the “native Americans” who want to be American first, serve this country and participate in its opportunities as well as its responsibilities.  Unfortunately that is inconsistent with claims of being a “sovereign nation” within this country complete with separate laws, courts, reservations, financial benefits  and ethnically based rights. 

    The “we were here first”  argument is specious.  First, you are immigrants too, from Asia.  Secondly, you are a conquered, defeated political entity; just as native Americans fought for land and resources between themselves throughout history and pre-history.  It is a reality that in war, the winner gets the spoils.  Third, is your claimed primacy of place the moral or legal equivalent of “right” for all things and all time?  If so, those English pilgrims you mock have a superior claim to America’s riches and positions of power to all the yellow, black or brown immigrants who came after them.

    Clearly the accident of  being first to any place can not establish an hereditary, racial or ethnic basis for preferential treatment in a democracy.  The claim is fundamentally racist.

    So I extend a welcome hand to you and yours who want to join our American society as full fledged members and renounce all the separatist rhetoric and legal claims you make whenever convenient.  Try it, and become a member of a truly great and proud Nation.

  • Anonymous

    Than you missed an opportunity.  UMO is free to those who claim Native American heritage. 

    I would welcome with open arms, instead of checkbook, the “native Americans” who want to be American first, serve this country and participate in its opportunities as well as its responsibilities.  Unfortunately that is inconsistent with claims of being a “sovereign nation” within this country complete with separate laws, courts, reservations, financial benefits  and ethnically based rights. 

    The “we were here first”  argument is specious.  First, you are immigrants too, from Asia.  Secondly, you are a conquered, defeated political entity; just as native Americans fought for land and resources between themselves throughout history and pre-history.  It is a reality that in war, the winner gets the spoils.  Third, is your claimed primacy of place the moral or legal equivalent of “right” for all things and all time?  If so, those English pilgrims you mock have a superior claim to America’s riches and positions of power to all the yellow, black or brown immigrants who came after them.

    Clearly the accident of  being first to any place can not establish an hereditary, racial or ethnic basis for preferential treatment in a democracy.  The claim is fundamentally racist.

    So I extend a welcome hand to you and yours who want to join our American society as full fledged members and renounce all the separatist rhetoric and legal claims you make whenever convenient.  Try it, and become a member of a truly great and proud Nation.

  • Anonymous

    I’m just waiting for PC to go a bit further and ban all place names that contain “SQUA” within them.  Soon you’ll be meeting your friend in Monument Squore, Portland instead of square.   Or Buttercup Squash Lane will have to be renamed Buttercup Squosh Lane. :)

    Or maybe substitute MOOSE like the last round of renamings.  Anyone want to meet-up in Monument Moosere later tonight? :)

  • Anonymous

    Is it just me, or is this “Political Correctness” BS getting out of hand? Now, I suppose they’ll force the state of Maine to change the name of Negro Brook (up in The County) to “African-American” Brook? I’d be willing to bet these “politically correct morons” have neither the intelligence or resources to take on the big leagues, such as the Cleveland Indians, Washington Redskins or the Atlanta Braves. Let’s see you make THEM change their name.

  • Anonymous

     
    You want to be left alone? Yet you call yourself ‘look at me.’  isn’t that a contradiction? Your giving out mixed messages. 

  • Anonymous

    Can we keep the names if we promise you a casino?

  • Anonymous

    Can we keep the names if we promise you a casino?

  • Anonymous

    How was the post not accurate?

  • Anonymous

    Your eloquent attempt to justify bigotry and prejudice falls flat. The basic thing that sets most of us apart from other animals is the ability to reason and to think. There are those of us who do not include ourselves in the “genetic predisposition” to hate others.  Thankfully, you who feel that bigotry is worth defending are well in the minority.

  • Anonymous

    While we’re at it, let’s rename about 70% of the towns, rivers, schools, ect.  Let’s ban Indian motorcycles, Tecumseh engines, and stop yelling “GERONIMO” when we jump off the diving board.  Also ban Tim McGraw’s “Indian Outlaw”, Johnny Cash’s “Ballad of Ira Hayes”(the drunken Indian), and Jeep Cherokees.  If we’re gonna do it to one, we might as well do it for all.  I thought that you were thicker skinned than that.  Gimme a break, find something else to complain about.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Maine.Scallywag Kevin McGarry

    Denial is the first step in recovery! You are what you are and genetics is something you cannot change. EVERYONE has prejudices. Even you. Whether or not you will admit it is another story. Step down from your high horse and admit that you do. It is human nature and it can never be completely erased from our genetic code. As far a reason and think goes, we are not the only species that has that ability. It’s been proven that some dolphins and others have it as well. Stop trying to set yourself up as something you are not. We are animals whether you you like it or not. We are not the reason for creation, we are a part of creation. Get over yourself

  • http://www.facebook.com/Maine.Scallywag Kevin McGarry

    Denial is the first step in recovery! You are what you are and genetics is something you cannot change. EVERYONE has prejudices. Even you. Whether or not you will admit it is another story. Step down from your high horse and admit that you do. It is human nature and it can never be completely erased from our genetic code. As far a reason and think goes, we are not the only species that has that ability. It’s been proven that some dolphins and others have it as well. Stop trying to set yourself up as something you are not. We are animals whether you you like it or not. We are not the reason for creation, we are a part of creation. Get over yourself

  • http://www.facebook.com/Maine.Scallywag Kevin McGarry

    Denial is the first step in recovery! You are what you are and genetics is something you cannot change. EVERYONE has prejudices. Even you. Whether or not you will admit it is another story. Step down from your high horse and admit that you do. It is human nature and it can never be completely erased from our genetic code. As far a reason and think goes, we are not the only species that has that ability. It’s been proven that some dolphins and others have it as well. Stop trying to set yourself up as something you are not. We are animals whether you you like it or not. We are not the reason for creation, we are a part of creation. Get over yourself

  • http://www.facebook.com/Maine.Scallywag Kevin McGarry

    Denial is the first step in recovery! You are what you are and genetics is something you cannot change. EVERYONE has prejudices. Even you. Whether or not you will admit it is another story. Step down from your high horse and admit that you do. It is human nature and it can never be completely erased from our genetic code. As far a reason and think goes, we are not the only species that has that ability. It’s been proven that some dolphins and others have it as well. Stop trying to set yourself up as something you are not. We are animals whether you you like it or not. We are not the reason for creation, we are a part of creation. Get over yourself

  • http://www.facebook.com/Maine.Scallywag Kevin McGarry

    Denial is the first step in recovery! You are what you are and genetics is something you cannot change. EVERYONE has prejudices. Even you. Whether or not you will admit it is another story. Step down from your high horse and admit that you do. It is human nature and it can never be completely erased from our genetic code. As far a reason and think goes, we are not the only species that has that ability. It’s been proven that some dolphins and others have it as well. Stop trying to set yourself up as something you are not. We are animals whether you you like it or not. We are not the reason for creation, we are a part of creation. Get over yourself

  • Anonymous

    I’m not going to rewrite history just to make you happy m8lsem. That’s the way it was like it or not.

  • Anonymous

    I’ve heard coon a lot, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard squaw so much. I don’t think it really stands out as bad as coon though, to most people I don’t think this word really had a negative connotation. I guess when it really comes down to it, this is a whole lot of attention to an area that will never be seen or impacted by a majority of the people who read this article. Also, were Native Americans in this state put down as much as black people have been with the term coon versus squaw? I could see where our black population was never very high that this might be the case, it just kind of bugs me that I read articles and there isn’t very much evidence of anything from the writers, you just have to take their word for it – obvious in the comment about how the term’s meaning refers simply to women. I see where you’re coming from but I’m still trying to determine if it was appropriate to put this much effort into changing the names, maybe I’m just putting too much thought into it lol.

  • Anonymous

    I’ve heard coon a lot, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard squaw so much. I don’t think it really stands out as bad as coon though, to most people I don’t think this word really had a negative connotation. I guess when it really comes down to it, this is a whole lot of attention to an area that will never be seen or impacted by a majority of the people who read this article. Also, were Native Americans in this state put down as much as black people have been with the term coon versus squaw? I could see where our black population was never very high that this might be the case, it just kind of bugs me that I read articles and there isn’t very much evidence of anything from the writers, you just have to take their word for it – obvious in the comment about how the term’s meaning refers simply to women. I see where you’re coming from but I’m still trying to determine if it was appropriate to put this much effort into changing the names, maybe I’m just putting too much thought into it lol.

  • Anonymous

    I’ve heard coon a lot, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard squaw so much. I don’t think it really stands out as bad as coon though, to most people I don’t think this word really had a negative connotation. I guess when it really comes down to it, this is a whole lot of attention to an area that will never be seen or impacted by a majority of the people who read this article. Also, were Native Americans in this state put down as much as black people have been with the term coon versus squaw? I could see where our black population was never very high that this might be the case, it just kind of bugs me that I read articles and there isn’t very much evidence of anything from the writers, you just have to take their word for it – obvious in the comment about how the term’s meaning refers simply to women. I see where you’re coming from but I’m still trying to determine if it was appropriate to put this much effort into changing the names, maybe I’m just putting too much thought into it lol.

  • Anonymous

    I’ve heard coon a lot, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard squaw so much. I don’t think it really stands out as bad as coon though, to most people I don’t think this word really had a negative connotation. I guess when it really comes down to it, this is a whole lot of attention to an area that will never be seen or impacted by a majority of the people who read this article. Also, were Native Americans in this state put down as much as black people have been with the term coon versus squaw? I could see where our black population was never very high that this might be the case, it just kind of bugs me that I read articles and there isn’t very much evidence of anything from the writers, you just have to take their word for it – obvious in the comment about how the term’s meaning refers simply to women. I see where you’re coming from but I’m still trying to determine if it was appropriate to put this much effort into changing the names, maybe I’m just putting too much thought into it lol.

  • Anonymous

    Pretty much from my experience.. But you are correct as the Univ. of North Dakota is abolishing “Fighting Sioux” as team mascot.

  • Anonymous

    They already changed the brook name years ago to Pelky Brook genius…..try and keep up…

  • Anonymous

    LQQKatme is my given name. Not my fault. But you are correct as it appears to be a contradiction.

  • Anonymous

    Pretty much from my experience. But you are correct as the Univ. of North Dakota is abolishing “Fighting Sioux” as their mascot.

  • Anonymous

    personne ne se soucie de votre chien muet……

  • Anonymous

    This was in Aroostook County NOT Palmyra…….the point being the name there as well as in Palmyra  WAS changed correct??????

  • Anonymous

    Go to Google Earth and type in “Negro Brook Lake Aroostook County”, in the search area, genius. Maybe you’ll learn something (but then again, probably not). 

  • Anonymous

    So much for getting a MOWHAWK next summer.  On a positive note, I won’t have to worry about ticket SCALPERS when I got to the next Sox game. There, I said it, I feel better.

  • Anonymous

    So much for getting a MOWHAWK next summer.  On a positive note, I won’t have to worry about ticket SCALPERS when I got to the next Sox game. There, I said it, I feel better.

  • Anonymous

    So much for getting a MOWHAWK next summer.  On a positive note, I won’t have to worry about ticket SCALPERS when I got to the next Sox game. There, I said it, I feel better.

  • Anonymous

    You owe me nothing except respectful acknowledgment.

    To acknowledge that Native Americans once possessed all of North, Central and South America, living as they did, having a trustee’s attitude to the land, that they had been here for at least ten thousand years prior to any European invasions, and that their descendants are alive, some living among you, some on left-over lands ‘granted to’ them, and all are entitled to acknowledgment as such. 

    They are the only Native Americans, living here before the Romans, the Franks, the Vandals and the Visigoths moved into northern and western Europe and began creating what are the homelands of the Euro-Americans who moved here hundreds of  years later and as recently as 1620 …  

    That there is something unique about Native Americans, something unique among those of them who were of the Algonquian language family who lived throughout most of what became British America. Who in large measure were unjustly deprived of their lands and livelihood and self-respect by arrogant invading Europeans, after being decimated by European diseases. Anomie, it’s called. It is akin to the emotional state of the unemployed during the Great Depression, with a sense of being discarded by the society that deprived them of nearly everything they had. And, then, worse than that, so often the children are taken away and sent to schools where they are punished for being who they are, punished if they speak the language of their home, punished if they dress in culturally valid ways, punished if they wear their hair in a different way, educated that their whole background is worthless. And then in Vermont there is a law that if your mother or your sister or your daughter gets into a hospital for any reason, she is while there to be surgically sterilized. Is it any wonder that after generations of being told you’re worthless some people behave that way? Anomie, All the anchors of your life have been cut loose from you.
    It’s a matter of perspective, I suppose, that we are an ethnic group with a unique relationship to this land, who for thousands of  years feasted on sea-run Atlantic salmon that the invaders managed to kill off, who feasted on lobster than was not scarce anywhere, who grew corn and beans and squash (and taught the Pilgrims how to grow them so that they might not starve), feasted on wild berries, hunted deer and moose and bear … and lived quite well, thank you, despite the occasional hassles with the ‘immigrant’ Mohawk … An acknowledgment that there’s something different and special and worthy of respect about Native Americans who are not just like you, but neither inferior nor superior to you, but who are quite remarkable for having survived all that.The perspective of the Euro-American at least used to be that there are all sorts of people who came where she lifted her lamp beside the door accepting the huddled masses that yearned to live free, though for years the Yankees may have looked down their noses at the Irish until of course the Yankees and the Irish looked down their noses at the Italians, and so forth. And that’s all well and good. But if the folks who immigrated here are entitled to have immigrated here, then let them welcome all the new folks who are coming here now. Welcome the darker toned from the south.Welcome the spanish-speaking and encourage them to continue speaking Spanish even as they learn English; let the families speak both languages at the dinner table. Accept from the new folks what you in essence say your ancestors had a right to tell ours to do.

    The people whom I least respect are self-identified as 100% American; who look down their noses at the people to whom Euro-Americans gave anomie; who claim on behalf of their ancestors a right to move in without the true, informed consent of the prior occupants; but who then turn around a look down their noses at the latest group of immigrants, or wish to keep them out. That is to claim the benefit denied to the First Nations. Either America is open to all with the gumption and strength to get here, or the arrival of the Euro-Americans should be acknowledged to have been wrongful. Maybe too late to fix, but wrongful none the less.

    olakamigen,  kaa yox̣ kiwayl … taa ligen dabi …

    Nanabedokw’môlsem
    B.A., LL.B., M.P.S.

  • williammalsomlongfellow

    I have part “Caucasian” in me.  Just Like you have Some “Indian” in you.  Although, this does not let me properly speak of the feelings of the White Racial Identity or speak for the whole group or even anyone else who has some white in them.  Therefore, it is mostly Irrelevant that I am Part “White”  as most call it.  I am mostly a Native Americans/First Nations Person of the Passamaquoddy Tribe and I do meet the criteria as a real “Indian”  not just of decent, and to top it off I have the Stereotypical Black Hair, Brown Skin, White teeth and Broad Build. However, this does not let me speak for all Native People anywhere, but I am  personally offended by the word Squaw, due to derogatory meaning it has now in contemporary times. I even know of many “Native people” that are offended by this word also. As an example:  Would a State or Town Keep the name of a body of water as “Negro Creek”  ? Even though it has always been historically called that?  The Simple answer Is “No they would not” due to the standards of contemporary times  and living in a more culturally sensitive society as a whole.  As for the Free Health Care,  Tuition Waivers In College in the U- Maine system,  there is many opinions on them to be debated.  A good fact to remember is that all those things were promised by the Federal Government to specific Tribal Sovereign Nations for whatever the people had giving up to the Federal Government.  Which is a Duty that the federal Government put on itself for the treaties it signed with every federally Recognized Sovereign Nation.  As Native Americans we are Nations within a Nation.  Therefor in my opinion we are different due to the Special relationship that the Federal Government has with the Multiple Tribes and Nations in This Country.   More issues and a deeper discussion can be addressed on most things mentioned in this comment.  But I am not looking into an argument or to write an article or essay,  Just thought I would attempt instilling some education on the ones that due not understand some facts.  We all have the beliefs we have for some reason or another.

  • Anonymous

    Food, like corn, beans, squash? Lobsters and salmon (you used to feed to slaves, because so abundant then), Ever eaten succotash? Pumpkin? Cranberry?  

    Inner pine bark, there’s an Alaska joke … how those miners, ’98ers, were dying of scurvy on the trails to the Interior while looking down their noses at the Ahtna Indians (Athabaskan language family) who were drinking that awful evergreen tea. Likely sone stuff like that happened in New England.

  • Anonymous

    I think Massachusetts  would have a lot of trouble and expense being renamed.

  • Anonymous

    Ask Columbus, one of those superior Europeans who insisted he had found India.

  • Anonymous

    That’s in SOMERSET COUNTY not AROOSTOOK COUNTY….by Seboomook  (Moosehead Lake)………Last time I checked when people say “the County” they don’t mean SOMERSET…lol.

  • Anonymous

    Who said all Native Americans were on welfare?  The “victim” status that some Natives want entitles them various types of welfare.  This whole discussion is an attempt to refresh that status.

    The Native Americans lived here before the Europeans came here, and the Red Paint People lived here before the tribes that were here when the Europeans got here, and the Ainu here before all of them.  All were displaced by other cultures.  No one would postulate that Native Americans would still be living here, in the stone age, today had the Europeans not landed.  Whenever this continent was “discovered” by someone else, the native culture would have been displaced (and decimated due to disease).

    The problem is that the Land Claims case was supposed to absolve all those claims, and the Native Americans were supposed to use those proceeds to be self-sufficient.  That hasn’t happened for many of them. 

    The point is that it is time for all the false victimhood to be replaced with an appreciation for the culture that existed here for 8,000 years before the Europeans came.  It’s also time for those people whose ancestors are part of that population to leave the past, and become part of this great culture.  Many have, some still embrace functional victimhood.

  • Anonymous

    You might consider the parallel — that the “N” word is used by Blacks in joking conversation among themselves, but they would be very offended to be so referred to by someone who isn’t being joking or joshing, but rather a stranger especially if White.

  • Anonymous

    It was about place names, which many found ridiculous, and the conversation moved on to team sports names which more found ridiculous, and then on to the never ending list of what Indians now find offensive, and what they feel that they deserve because of their ancestors.
    I have never tried to “exterminate” a race and certainly feel no guilt, burden, or debt, for what may have happened hundreds of years ago to people I do not know, or by people that I do not know.

  • Anonymous

    It was about place names, which many found ridiculous, and the conversation moved on to team sports names which more found ridiculous, and then on to the never ending list of what Indians now find offensive, and what they feel that they deserve because of their ancestors.
    I have never tried to “exterminate” a race and certainly feel no guilt, burden, or debt, for what may have happened hundreds of years ago to people I do not know, or by people that I do not know.

  • Anonymous

    It was about place names, which many found ridiculous, and the conversation moved on to team sports names which more found ridiculous, and then on to the never ending list of what Indians now find offensive, and what they feel that they deserve because of their ancestors.
    I have never tried to “exterminate” a race and certainly feel no guilt, burden, or debt, for what may have happened hundreds of years ago to people I do not know, or by people that I do not know.

  • Anonymous

    “Political correctness” is a defensive slur of sorts, the last refuge of what I hope and pray you are not, a scoundrel. Rather than discussing a matter in terms of how it affects all concerned, it is a way of dismissing the whole topic as if no reasonable person could have a stake in it.

  • Anonymous

    “Political correctness” is a defensive slur of sorts, the last refuge of what I hope and pray you are not, a scoundrel. Rather than discussing a matter in terms of how it affects all concerned, it is a way of dismissing the whole topic as if no reasonable person could have a stake in it.

  • Anonymous

    “Political correctness” is a defensive slur of sorts, the last refuge of what I hope and pray you are not, a scoundrel. Rather than discussing a matter in terms of how it affects all concerned, it is a way of dismissing the whole topic as if no reasonable person could have a stake in it.

  • Anonymous

    “Political correctness” is a defensive slur of sorts, the last refuge of what I hope and pray you are not, a scoundrel. Rather than discussing a matter in terms of how it affects all concerned, it is a way of dismissing the whole topic as if no reasonable person could have a stake in it.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah, and I take offense every time I go to a honkytonk. It makes me feel uncomfortable.  I feel your pain.

  • Anonymous

    Really, how many people from Mapleton and the surrounding towns are gonna actulally call it by the new name

  • Benevolent Despot

    What happens [if anything] to these words in Passamaquoddy?
    I am curious.
    ____________________________________
    sqawsu. verb ai 1. s/he survives (when others do not) plural sqawsultuwok,  verb-stem -asqawsi-.  sqawsi-. changed verb-stem esqawsi-.

  • Anonymous

    Please note that the place-name “Squapan” has no connection with the word “Squaw.”  As the BDN story notes, this is a homonym,  a word (or syllable) with similar pronunciation but different meaning.

  • Anonymous

    Please note that the place-name “Squapan” has no connection with the word “Squaw.”  As the BDN story notes, this is a homonym,  a word (or syllable) with similar pronunciation but different meaning.

  • Benevolent Despot

    Ni vôtre

  • Benevolent Despot

    Ni vôtre

  • Benevolent Despot

    Ni vôtre

  • Benevolent Despot

    Do you think he is innocent?
    Il n’est pas des innocents. Il s’est vanté des meurtres.

  • Benevolent Despot

    Do you think he is innocent?
    Il n’est pas des innocents. Il s’est vanté des meurtres.

  • Anonymous

    I bet you’d feel differently if the shoe was on the other foot.

  • Anonymous

    I bet you’d feel differently if the shoe was on the other foot.

  • Anonymous

    I bet you’d feel differently if the shoe was on the other foot.

  • Anonymous

    I bet you’d feel differently if the shoe was on the other foot.

  • Anonymous

    I bet you’d feel differently if the shoe was on the other foot.

  • Benevolent Despot

    There are different theories. I believe in the Candelabra theory as opposed to the Out of Africa theory.

    Out of Africa is  monogenism, the theory that man originated from one homo sapien in Africa and the other is polygenism the theory of many lineages of homo sapiens who left Africa before they became homo sapien. They spread out and developed from there.

    The Candelabra Theory makes sense.

  • Anonymous

    Why make a problem where there was not one? This is an attack on the first amendment. All of a sudden people are offended? Watch what is next!

  • waynorth1

    Caring Mother….couldn’t agree more….motoring around that lake the last thing I thought about was an Indian whore……just knew I was going to Squa Pan Lake for the afternoon, a BBQ and a dip in the lake. 

  • waynorth1

    No one who is from around here is ever going to refer to Squa Pan as Scopan….never happen.  They’d think you were on something…..it’ll take another 10 years plus for the next generation to (a) learn how to read a map and (b) figure out how to get there.

  • Anonymous

    I wouldn’t mind a lake filled with Indian whores ;)

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_BMOQ5PNHSH4KE4VBJRAF2DAOTQ Grizz

    I travel across this great country of ours all the time. I have seen the word Squa used in many names of localities, lakes, ponds and streams mountains….Take a look at Squa Valley Ski resort in Lake Tahoe….How about the Squaw Mountain Ranch (Nudist Colony) in Oregon….Squaw Mountain Whitetails in TX….. Why is it that we are changing the word Squa in Aroostook County when it remains intact all over this country….I have hunted and fished around Squa Pan Lake for more than 78 years and not once in all those years have I ever used the name Squa Pan as a hateful and bigorty name used against any Native American Indian tribe or nation….I am saddened that so many Maine people are struggling to stay in their homes, trying to keep their jobs and raise their families when others are worrying and spending all this time and money trying to remove a name that evidently there ancestors didn’t have a problem with it until the new generation coming up feels they are being trappled on….Well folks we have bigger problems to take care of because changing an indian name to another name is not going to create jobs in Maine…not going to put food on the table or make your gardens grow any better….Not going to repair our bridges or roads in Maine….It might make others feel better about their heritage, but if one name is going to do that than you got a lot more problems with your heritage than one word named Squaw….. Our ancestors and the Native American Indian did what they had to do to survive and raise their families back than….they never changed the name then…..why are we doing it now…when we should be paying attention to more inportant things on taking care of our families and working and having jobs to do just that…..Let’s start being kinder towards eachother, we are all brothers and sisters, even if we are from a different race or culture…all God’s children….Amen! 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_BMOQ5PNHSH4KE4VBJRAF2DAOTQ Grizz

    I travel across this great country of ours all the time. I have seen the word Squa used in many names of localities, lakes, ponds and streams mountains….Take a look at Squa Valley Ski resort in Lake Tahoe….How about the Squaw Mountain Ranch (Nudist Colony) in Oregon….Squaw Mountain Whitetails in TX….. Why is it that we are changing the word Squa in Aroostook County when it remains intact all over this country….I have hunted and fished around Squa Pan Lake for more than 78 years and not once in all those years have I ever used the name Squa Pan as a hateful and bigorty name used against any Native American Indian tribe or nation….I am saddened that so many Maine people are struggling to stay in their homes, trying to keep their jobs and raise their families when others are worrying and spending all this time and money trying to remove a name that evidently there ancestors didn’t have a problem with it until the new generation coming up feels they are being trappled on….Well folks we have bigger problems to take care of because changing an indian name to another name is not going to create jobs in Maine…not going to put food on the table or make your gardens grow any better….Not going to repair our bridges or roads in Maine….It might make others feel better about their heritage, but if one name is going to do that than you got a lot more problems with your heritage than one word named Squaw….. Our ancestors and the Native American Indian did what they had to do to survive and raise their families back than….they never changed the name then…..why are we doing it now…when we should be paying attention to more inportant things on taking care of our families and working and having jobs to do just that…..Let’s start being kinder towards eachother, we are all brothers and sisters, even if we are from a different race or culture…all God’s children….Amen! 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_BMOQ5PNHSH4KE4VBJRAF2DAOTQ Grizz

    I travel across this great country of ours all the time. I have seen the word Squa used in many names of localities, lakes, ponds and streams mountains….Take a look at Squa Valley Ski resort in Lake Tahoe….How about the Squaw Mountain Ranch (Nudist Colony) in Oregon….Squaw Mountain Whitetails in TX….. Why is it that we are changing the word Squa in Aroostook County when it remains intact all over this country….I have hunted and fished around Squa Pan Lake for more than 78 years and not once in all those years have I ever used the name Squa Pan as a hateful and bigorty name used against any Native American Indian tribe or nation….I am saddened that so many Maine people are struggling to stay in their homes, trying to keep their jobs and raise their families when others are worrying and spending all this time and money trying to remove a name that evidently there ancestors didn’t have a problem with it until the new generation coming up feels they are being trappled on….Well folks we have bigger problems to take care of because changing an indian name to another name is not going to create jobs in Maine…not going to put food on the table or make your gardens grow any better….Not going to repair our bridges or roads in Maine….It might make others feel better about their heritage, but if one name is going to do that than you got a lot more problems with your heritage than one word named Squaw….. Our ancestors and the Native American Indian did what they had to do to survive and raise their families back than….they never changed the name then…..why are we doing it now…when we should be paying attention to more inportant things on taking care of our families and working and having jobs to do just that…..Let’s start being kinder towards eachother, we are all brothers and sisters, even if we are from a different race or culture…all God’s children….Amen! 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_BMOQ5PNHSH4KE4VBJRAF2DAOTQ Grizz

    I travel across this great country of ours all the time. I have seen the word Squa used in many names of localities, lakes, ponds and streams mountains….Take a look at Squa Valley Ski resort in Lake Tahoe….How about the Squaw Mountain Ranch (Nudist Colony) in Oregon….Squaw Mountain Whitetails in TX….. Why is it that we are changing the word Squa in Aroostook County when it remains intact all over this country….I have hunted and fished around Squa Pan Lake for more than 78 years and not once in all those years have I ever used the name Squa Pan as a hateful and bigorty name used against any Native American Indian tribe or nation….I am saddened that so many Maine people are struggling to stay in their homes, trying to keep their jobs and raise their families when others are worrying and spending all this time and money trying to remove a name that evidently there ancestors didn’t have a problem with it until the new generation coming up feels they are being trappled on….Well folks we have bigger problems to take care of because changing an indian name to another name is not going to create jobs in Maine…not going to put food on the table or make your gardens grow any better….Not going to repair our bridges or roads in Maine….It might make others feel better about their heritage, but if one name is going to do that than you got a lot more problems with your heritage than one word named Squaw….. Our ancestors and the Native American Indian did what they had to do to survive and raise their families back than….they never changed the name then…..why are we doing it now…when we should be paying attention to more inportant things on taking care of our families and working and having jobs to do just that…..Let’s start being kinder towards eachother, we are all brothers and sisters, even if we are from a different race or culture…all God’s children….Amen! 

  • Anonymous

    Who was here before the “10 thousand years” that you stated? Who should decide where the line in history is drawn regarding who were the first here? Do the Indians owe a debt to some other race that was here before them? Or should we only look back as far as benefits the Indians?
    It was a very uncivilized time period and wrongs were done to many races and nationalities, not only Indians. The people who may have been owed a debt are long dead and buried, along with the people who may have done wrong to them.
    It will be a very disappointing life if you go through it feeling that everyone else owes you something. 

  • Anonymous

    Who was here before the “10 thousand years” that you stated? Who should decide where the line in history is drawn regarding who were the first here? Do the Indians owe a debt to some other race that was here before them? Or should we only look back as far as benefits the Indians?
    It was a very uncivilized time period and wrongs were done to many races and nationalities, not only Indians. The people who may have been owed a debt are long dead and buried, along with the people who may have done wrong to them.
    It will be a very disappointing life if you go through it feeling that everyone else owes you something. 

  • Anonymous

    Who was here before the “10 thousand years” that you stated? Who should decide where the line in history is drawn regarding who were the first here? Do the Indians owe a debt to some other race that was here before them? Or should we only look back as far as benefits the Indians?
    It was a very uncivilized time period and wrongs were done to many races and nationalities, not only Indians. The people who may have been owed a debt are long dead and buried, along with the people who may have done wrong to them.
    It will be a very disappointing life if you go through it feeling that everyone else owes you something. 

  • Anonymous

    Who was here before the “10 thousand years” that you stated? Who should decide where the line in history is drawn regarding who were the first here? Do the Indians owe a debt to some other race that was here before them? Or should we only look back as far as benefits the Indians?
    It was a very uncivilized time period and wrongs were done to many races and nationalities, not only Indians. The people who may have been owed a debt are long dead and buried, along with the people who may have done wrong to them.
    It will be a very disappointing life if you go through it feeling that everyone else owes you something. 

  • Anonymous

    Who was here before the “10 thousand years” that you stated? Who should decide where the line in history is drawn regarding who were the first here? Do the Indians owe a debt to some other race that was here before them? Or should we only look back as far as benefits the Indians?
    It was a very uncivilized time period and wrongs were done to many races and nationalities, not only Indians. The people who may have been owed a debt are long dead and buried, along with the people who may have done wrong to them.
    It will be a very disappointing life if you go through it feeling that everyone else owes you something. 

  • Anonymous

    Who was here before the “10 thousand years” that you stated? Who should decide where the line in history is drawn regarding who were the first here? Do the Indians owe a debt to some other race that was here before them? Or should we only look back as far as benefits the Indians?
    It was a very uncivilized time period and wrongs were done to many races and nationalities, not only Indians. The people who may have been owed a debt are long dead and buried, along with the people who may have done wrong to them.
    It will be a very disappointing life if you go through it feeling that everyone else owes you something. 

  • Anonymous

    Some people are cursed enough to have so little in their life, that they have to grab onto  ludicrous issues like this and others like it. What a pathetitic bunch of  buffoons.

  • Anonymous

    Some people are cursed enough to have so little in their life, that they have to grab onto  ludicrous issues like this and others like it. What a pathetitic bunch of  buffoons.

  • Anonymous

    Yes and let’s do away with white bread. Wonderbread especially. It’s cheap and makes me feel cheap because I’m white.

  • Anonymous

    What did the Indians feed to their slaves?

  • Anonymous

    Is that what being ‘Indian” is about free health care and such ? Sad….

  • Anonymous

    American Indian women and men all around the United States and Canada reject the use of the word squaw in reference to American Indian women. The word has been imposed on our culture by European Americans and appears on hundreds of geographic place names. Suzan Shown Harjo brought the issue to national attention on the Oparh Winfrey Show back in 1992. Since that time projects to eliminate the use of the word on geographic sites have formed in Minnesota (Dawn Litzau and Angelene Losh), in Arizona (Delena Waddle and Seipe Flood), in California (Stormy Ogden), and in Iowa (Fawn Stubben). Many other states are forming groups to erradicate the use of the word from geographic place names and women’s sports teams.        1.When people argue that the word squaw appears in the dictionary, remind them that the word is also identified as derogatory. The Thesaurus of Slang lists the term squaw as a synonym for prostitute, harlot, hussy, and floozy.        2.When people argue that the word originates in American Indian language point out that:In the Algonquin languages the word squaw means vagina.In the Mohawk language the word otsikwaw means female genitalia. Mohawk women and         men found that early European fur traders shortened the word to squaw because that                represented what they wanted from Mohawk women.               Although scholarship traces the word to the Massachusset Indians back in the 1650s, the word has different meanings (or may not exist at all) in hundreds of other American Indian languages. This claim also assumes that a European correctly translated the Massachusset language to English–that he understood the nuances of Indian speech.               Attitudes of white supremacy account for the need of seperate identifing terms such as squaw and buck. In order to justify the taking of the land, American Indian women and men had to be labled with dehumanitizing terms. Europeans and European Americans spread the use of the word as they moved westward across the continent.          3.When people say “it never used to bother Indian women to be called squaw, respond with the following questions and statement.               Were American Indian women of people ever asked? Have you ever asked an American Indian woman, man, or child how they feel about the word? (Do not say the word yourself, simply call it the “s” word) then state that it has always been used to insult American Indian women.          4.When people ask “why now?” explain that:               Through communication and education American Indian people have come to understand the derogatory meaning of the word. American Indian women claim the right to define ourselves as women and we reject the offensive term squaw.(taken from the web page of American Indian Movement, Southern California Chapter)”American Indians are a living people NOT mascots”

  • Anonymous

     O.K. one more observation, you said “Just as you white eyes wiped out our people….” and you said you were half French and half Micmac are you also saying you hate half of your existence?
      I can only speak for myself, but the truth is I had nothing to do with the “theft” or non-payment of native’s land. wiping anyone out by disease or war. If I was alive back when all of this started, I would have said “be honest and pay them fairly so no one can call us a cheat.”
      By leaving you alone at your request, will mean exactly what you said “your native history will disappear.” It isn’t what I’m asking for.
     What I am asking for is stop calling us non natives names, we have no more whites in our eyes then natives, our skin is not white. Quit already with saying that us “you” people are responsible for things happening more than 100 years ago. Unfortunately we cannot un-do history and neither can your people and none  us had anything to do with centuries ago. 
     

  • Anonymous

    Negro Brook Lake Tote Road. Location; 6.25 miles east of Allagash Village. North to south, about half way between St. Francis and the Deboullie region of North Maine Woods.

    GPS Coordinates; Latitude; 47° 4′ 6.00″ North
                    Longitude; 68° 54′ 14.00″ West

    That would be in “The County.” (Aroostook). Look it up.

  • williammalsomlongfellow

    I agree, very Sad.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_LIEXWFQZVZRJKCMCJUX7NKOAEY Irvin

    Well in my opinion im tired of grant money going to tribes to be wasted or miused and for what?God created the world for all to live and exsist in together in harmony how dare natives to think they are due anything but the right to own land like anyone else. God didnt just create you he created all of us its time you guys became self sufficient and stop sucking off the government and the working poor. Try getting a job, a real one not one created with our money

  • Benevolent Despot

    The word Sioux is not a word in the Lakota language. It is actually derogatory in it’s origins.

     The term Dakota, Lakota and Nakota, 
    is their own word for “allies.”

    Historically, they have been known as the Sioux, a
    word thought to have come from the French-Canadian nadouessioux,
    derived from an Ottawa word for “little snakes.”

  • Benevolent Despot

    The word Sioux is not a word in the Lakota language. It is actually derogatory in it’s origins.

     The term Dakota, Lakota and Nakota, 
    is their own word for “allies.”

    Historically, they have been known as the Sioux, a
    word thought to have come from the French-Canadian nadouessioux,
    derived from an Ottawa word for “little snakes.”

  • Anonymous

    who gives a crap. im part native american and white. and i could care less what anybody thinks black, white , red or yellow. we as a people just need to realize that we are no better than anyone else. we all came into this world the same way and are gonna leave it the same way.  god didnt put us here to see who could be poor and who could be rich and full of themselves. when the day comes it isnt gonna matter what you have or dont have. its what kind of person you was. all races have poor people and rich people  drug addicts and prostitutes . just be a better person no matter what you have or dont have.  and as for people that are brought up racist not much we can do about that. there is ignorance in the world.  

  • Benevolent Despot

    When I was young we grew purple potatoes called N_ _ _er Toes.
    Old timers thought nothing of it, I always thought it wasn’t very nice at all, times change, but PC has gone too far.

  • Anonymous

    i know that but they are changing the word because its derogitory to the native was my point i know it has nothing to do with them

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WLRO7OGEC43RKTSZUSJLRDQKQA Gary

    Are you freaking kidding me?  That’s all I have to say.

  • Anonymous

    zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

  • waynorth1

     Couldn’t agree more…..wait until Jose Gonzalez from the South meets Big Brother Bear from the North. Why the H______ can’t people just like each other and respect each other for who they are, respect their histories, respect their battles and be done with it?  Pretty simple SH______.  The way this country is going with this simplistic crap and the in-fighting, it’s nuts.  In retirement, god knows when, so finding an island of happiness or dumping my computer.  Ignorance is bliss.  Gonna go pick up a plastic bag and take doggie for walk and clean up more SH____ along the way.  People, get happy.  It’ll always be Squa Pan to me.  “Ain’t” no Squo.  History channel, 911 stories….watch those and be happy you’re alive and not jumping. 

  • waynorth1

     Couldn’t agree more…..wait until Jose Gonzalez from the South meets Big Brother Bear from the North. Why the H______ can’t people just like each other and respect each other for who they are, respect their histories, respect their battles and be done with it?  Pretty simple SH______.  The way this country is going with this simplistic crap and the in-fighting, it’s nuts.  In retirement, god knows when, so finding an island of happiness or dumping my computer.  Ignorance is bliss.  Gonna go pick up a plastic bag and take doggie for walk and clean up more SH____ along the way.  People, get happy.  It’ll always be Squa Pan to me.  “Ain’t” no Squo.  History channel, 911 stories….watch those and be happy you’re alive and not jumping. 

  • Anonymous

    i think there is alot of white people on welfare in this state probably more than there are native americans.  this is the welfare state. cause there are very few decent paying jobs in this area . why would people go to work and have all there bennys  cut for an 8 or 9 dollar an hour job when they can sit home and get foodstamps and go to the clinic for 5 bucks. maybe its the system maybe people arent stupid, not lazy. oh and i have a job . but i wonder why sometimes. jobs up here want you to have all kinds of skills but then pay you 8 to 10 bucks an hour. unless your in the medical field of coarse seems thats all there is for decent jobs in bangor . 

  • OldWench

    I think some of the sports team names imply admiration…like Chiefs or Braves…because those names are associated with dignity, respect and are more positive.  However, names like Redskins are offensive.  I love appropriate native words being used to name geographical locations because that helps a little towards keeping native culture and language alive, and that’s important.  All that being said…the negative and hurtful things really need to go…it’s well past the time for that.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Edward-Lachowicz/100000535475609 Edward Lachowicz

    We actually used to have place names in the state up until around thirty or forty years ago that used the N-word. It took the first (and only) black man ever elected to the Maine House to change it.

    http://www.sunjournal.com/city/story/1022416

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Edward-Lachowicz/100000535475609 Edward Lachowicz

    We actually used to have place names in the state up until around thirty or forty years ago that used the N-word. It took the first (and only) black man ever elected to the Maine House to change it.

    http://www.sunjournal.com/city/story/1022416

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Edward-Lachowicz/100000535475609 Edward Lachowicz

    What was a very uncivilized time period? We’re referring to a time period as late as the 1900s, here. Not exactly ancient history. And the fact we’re still repaying the debt is because it was never properly repaid in the first place… almost every time our government made an agreement with a tribe, they broke it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Edward-Lachowicz/100000535475609 Edward Lachowicz

    If you need to ask that question, Kevin, then you don’t understand much about race and I’d encourage you to learn.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Edward-Lachowicz/100000535475609 Edward Lachowicz

    I go there myself and do the same, heh. UMO decided they were better than every other school in the system, so they were UM and everyone else was UM at Someplace. Still keep meaning to put a sticker on my shirt that says “at Orono”… lol.

  • acadiashores

    lol thank you for getting it!!  I graduated from U M Presque Isle and I always thought it was rather egotistical of Orono.

  • acadiashores

    lol thank you for getting it!!  I graduated from U M Presque Isle and I always thought it was rather egotistical of Orono.

  • acadiashores

    lol thank you for getting it!!  I graduated from U M Presque Isle and I always thought it was rather egotistical of Orono.

  • acadiashores

    lol thank you for getting it!!  I graduated from U M Presque Isle and I always thought it was rather egotistical of Orono.

  • acadiashores

     I just refuse to feel “less than” because I didn’t go to Orono.  Long live UMPI! lol

  • acadiashores

     I just refuse to feel “less than” because I didn’t go to Orono.  Long live UMPI! lol

  • acadiashores

     I just refuse to feel “less than” because I didn’t go to Orono.  Long live UMPI! lol

  • acadiashores

     I just refuse to feel “less than” because I didn’t go to Orono.  Long live UMPI! lol

  • Anonymous

    yes, we have negro island on the coast..

  • Anonymous

    yes, we have negro island on the coast..

  • Anonymous

    yes, we have negro island on the coast..

  • Anonymous

    yes, we have negro island on the coast..

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Edward-Lachowicz/100000535475609 Edward Lachowicz

    Their ancestors were being trampled on and didn’t have a right to speak out against the white majority, actually. So, no, they couldn’t have gotten it changed back when, because they were powerless to do so.

  • Anonymous

    We need to also remove and locations name with the word WHITE, which is very offensive to white people. Why is it only white people can be racists? Never hear of an Indian racist, native american racist or a chinese racist, a canadian racist, its always white rascist,,I  forgot, white people are the real minority 

  • Anonymous

    We need to also remove and locations name with the word WHITE, which is very offensive to white people. Why is it only white people can be racists? Never hear of an Indian racist, native american racist or a chinese racist, a canadian racist, its always white rascist,,I  forgot, white people are the real minority 

  • Anonymous

    We need to also remove and locations name with the word WHITE, which is very offensive to white people. Why is it only white people can be racists? Never hear of an Indian racist, native american racist or a chinese racist, a canadian racist, its always white rascist,,I  forgot, white people are the real minority 

  • Anonymous

    We need to also remove and locations name with the word WHITE, which is very offensive to white people. Why is it only white people can be racists? Never hear of an Indian racist, native american racist or a chinese racist, a canadian racist, its always white rascist,,I  forgot, white people are the real minority 

  • Anonymous

    I, too, was wondering how many of my tax dollars have been spent on this nonsense.  Somebody is always offended by something.  I’m offended when my tax dollars are wasted and GIVEN to someone who doesn’t want to get off their butt to get a job!

  • Anonymous

    How would the  Christians feel if Orono High School wanted to name their team the Christers and they wanted Jesus as their mascot? And that they wanted to have him run out onto the court to rev up the crowd and he pretended to sprinkle holy water. This would not be tolerated. It would be considered disrespectful.  Native peoples and aspects of our spiritual practices should not be mocked and exploited by sports teams.

    I was called squaw many, many times as a child on the island where I was raised. I was one of two biracial students going to school there back in the 70s. I remember crying and being ashamed that I was not all white, thinking I was defective. It was not a term of endearment. I felt like my spirit was being assaulted.  Had I not come to excel in sports, I may have been taunted my whole way through school.  

    None of my ancestors were involved in the Holocaust, but it sickens me to think what happened during that time. I have nothing but the utmost respect and reverence for survivors, their families and those who have been impacted by those atrocities.  I realize that it takes more than a generation or two before the after affects begin to lessen. I feel guilt at what humans inflicted on other humans. 

    It is called being a caring, concerned, empathetic person. It sounds like you may need to do a lot in that area.

  • Anonymous

    You, sir, owe me nothing. I want nothing from you but respect and to be treated with dignity. Everything that I have in life, I have worked very hard at achieve. I have overcome many obstacles put in front of me by mostly white people, things that you could never even begin to imagine.

    I work hard, give a great deal back to society to try to make a difference in this world. This describes all of my family members. We want absolutely nothing from you other than respect and to be treated fairly for who we are on the inside. 

    We want you to let go of the stereotypes that you hold so tightly.

  • Anonymous

    More bull crap it will always be known as squapan to everyone except the pc police

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_724VB6F5JVF5KDLSSHSM6Z7IOE Maggie Newell

    I feel bad for you all who make these negative comments about us Native Americans, and how we make a big deal out of a name, well if you were raised as I was on the reservation and I am in my middle age, my mom told me that the word “squaw’ was offensive to Native American woman, and I do agree with her but if your gonna post something about the topic keep it to the topic don’t throw out there, how we get money once a month and everything else Ive read here.  I am proud to be a Native, and I am very glad the names were changed it shows me that there are people in the world who still care about important issues and respect out heritage………..thanks to who all that were involved on the name changes

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_724VB6F5JVF5KDLSSHSM6Z7IOE Maggie Newell

    I just want to say thank you to whoever was involved in changing the names……….its great to know that there are people out there who care about others and how names like that would be offensive to our Native Americans

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_724VB6F5JVF5KDLSSHSM6Z7IOE Maggie Newell

    I just want to say thank you to whoever was involved in changing the names……….its great to know that there are people out there who care about others and how names like that would be offensive to our Native Americans

  • williammalsomlongfellow

    Was not aware of that, I stand corrected on that part.

  • williammalsomlongfellow

    Using a Tribal name and a Homonym that is related to a derogatory word are two different issues. Your Logic is well attempted but mixed.  Since I was corrected on Negro being used in a place name by chuckepilgrim, I hope there is not any place names that have a word or homonym in any context that is offensive or derogatory towards anyone.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=690576119 Jerich Morey

    ???????????? what are you implying ???

  • AionNV

    Funny how you accuse people of doing what it is you’ve been doing.

    A liar and a racist, own it, it’s what you are.

  • Anonymous

    And what was the problem with the Old Town Indians sports team, or the Junior High Braves? No matter, just curious, the Coyotes is much better anyway.

  • Anonymous

    Are you comparing some childish name calling to the holocaust? Where there any fat kids or skinny kids or kids with freckles? Did any of the children who may not have the manners that they should have tease them too?

  • Anonymous

    :-) You’re a joke.

  • Anonymous

    After having read through all of these comments, my mind is quite literally spinning.  I am a Mic Mac Native descendent from the Gespapegiag Reserve not PI.  I can remember spending time on the Reserve with my Grandfather and listening to the stories he told and the language that he tried to teach us.  I have raised my children to be proud of their heritage, as well as respect all others.  My feelings on the use of the term “squaw” is that it is offensive.  However, I am not offended by sports teams using Native terms or names.  I do not want Native Americans seen as “savages” or as a bunch of whiners.  We are a proud people, just as all of our country’s MANY cultures are.  Respect me and my beliefs and I’ll do the same for you, but disrepect me because of my blood and I will try to teach you understanding.

  • Anonymous

    “play the race care”?? Really? I’m sorry logic is lost on you. My comment seems to have gone right over your head.

  • Anonymous

    You really dont see the difference? Wow

  • Anonymous

    What happened to my ancestors was EXACTLY what happened in the Holocaust. In fact, Hitler studied Native American history and focused on how the United States Government nearly wiped out a population of human beings. There is no difference between what happened in the Holocaust and what happened to the Native inhabitants of this continent. 

    Racial harassment that goes on for years causes a great deal of emotional trauma especially when you are the only person of your culture who goes to a school. When kids were teased for being skinny or fat, the teacher would step in and take over the situation. There were dozens of skinny and fat kids i the school. There was only one Passamaquoddy child in the school. When I was called racial slurs, I was told to “stop being so silly, so sensitive and to get over it.” When I hear the word squaw now it instantly brings back those traumatic memories. Some people can never get over being a racist. Some people will always judge a group of people based on stereotypes. All we can try to do is educate them and feel sorry for them that they hold such contempt for people from another race of culture.

  • Anonymous

    Ahhh good ole Maine bigotry at it’s best…

  • Anonymous

    I was wondering when someone would pick up on that.

  • williammalsomlongfellow

    Sorry I would not be able to speak on this since I do not know anything about it.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_E3Q75FM3C7GIME5SHSF3LZKGPI Ken

    This is one of the dumbest, most idiotic things I have ever read.

  • blagos

    Why not just translate the names into English:  Whore-pan, Whore-pan Inlet,  Whore-pan Knob, Whore-pan Lake, Whore-pan Mountain and Whore-pan Stream?  There, now nobody will be offended.

  • Anonymous

    “Even in this day and age, whites have an advantage over minorities…so much so, that most are oblivious to that fact because they’ve NEVER had to deal with racism”

    Jewish people are white…. and In the 1980s, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Jews are a race…

  • Anonymous

    Hence the word “most.” Also, I think you’ve misunderstood the ruling you’re referring to. The Supreme Court established that so that Jewish people wouldnt be discriminated against due to their religion….not the color of their skin or which tribe they’re descended from. There are Jewish people from all races.

  • Anonymous

    Where food is concerned, there’re also tomatoes, peppers and (especially important in Maine) potatoes.  All originally selected and bred by natives.  South American natives, to be sure, but I don’t think geographic location was specified.

  • Anonymous

    The irony of this story is that it seems to be the white congressmen making all the fuss, only later to contact the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians for consultation.  Maybe the people we try so hard not to offend really have thicker skin than we give them credit for, or a sense of humor.http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2011/09/maine-finally-gets-around-to-changing-offensive-names-that-to-native-americans-sound-something-like-“whore-lake”/

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