Last November Deb Haaland, the first Native American Secretary of the Interior in a news release deemed the word squaw as an ethnic, racial, and sexist slur.

It’s true the term squaw originated from the Algonquian word for woman, but Haaland said its meaning has been skewed for centuries by white people.

The edict she issued last November resulted in a 13-member federal task force to find and recommend replacement names for geographic features on federal lands that include the term Squaw. Haaland announced the task force had completed its review.

The Squaw Creeks in Montgomery and Chautauqua Counties were identified by the task force to be renamed. Four other locations in Kansas were also identified and will be named something inoffensive and welcoming to all.

Some Proposed New Names in Montgomery County are Bald Mound Creek, Elk City Lake Creek, and Walker Mound Creek. Some of Chautauqua County’s suggestions are Hogback Hill Creek, Santa Fe Lake Creek, Butcher Falls Creek, and Flint Hills Creek. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names is expected to vote on those recommendations in September.