How did the Secretary’s Order 3404 Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force reach a final decision on replacement names?
Secretary's Order 3404 outlined a process that concluded in 2022. The Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force reviewed all candidate names, including those generated by the U.S. Geological Survey, received by the Board on Geographic Names (BGN) as part of a formal proposal prior to January 24, 2022, or contributed through a public comment period (February 23 to April 25, 2022) or Tribal consultations. Opportunities to provide input were announced via Federal Register notices.
After the public comment and Tribal Consultation periods closed on April 25, 2022, the Task Force considered all input and developed a list of final recommendations that was submitted to the BGN on July 22, 2022. The BGN voted at its September 8, 2022 meeting to approve changes to 643 of the names.
The Department of the Interior recommended further review by the BGN for five additional names that applied to unincorporated populated places. Noting that there were unique concerns with renaming communities, the BGN sought additional input from the local governments and stakeholders before making the final determination. Changes to the five unincorporated populated place names were approved by the BGN on January 12, 2023.
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How did the Secretary’s Order 3404 Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force reach a final decision on replacement names?
Secretary's Order 3404 outlined a process that concluded in 2022. The Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force reviewed all candidate names, including those generated by the U.S. Geological Survey, received by the Board on Geographic Names (BGN) as part of a formal proposal prior to January 24, 2022, or contributed through a public comment period (February 23 to April 25, 2022) or Tribal...
Does the Board on Geographic Names (BGN) decide what is derogatory or offensive?
The BGN’s Principles, Policies, and Procedures document includes a Policy on Derogatory and Offensive Names. As of 2023, three words are declared derogatory in all occurrences: In 1963, the BGN, at the request of the Secretary of the Interior, mandated that the pejorative form of the word “Negro” be eliminated from all federal maps and publications. The word was replaced with “Negro” for all...
What words are considered “Derogatory” under Secretary’s Orders 3404 and 3405?
Secretary's Order 3404 and the Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force considered only the word “sq___” to be within its scope. Secretary’s Order 3405 , also issued on November 19, 2021, created an Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names for DOI to receive input from interested parties regarding additional derogatory terms; derogatory terms applied to federal land units; and to...
What criteria did the Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force apply to select replacement names under Secretary’s Order 3404?
A list of five candidate names for each geographic feature was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey as directed by Secretary's Order 3404 . The candidate replacement names were derived through a search of nearby named geographic features until at least five nearby names were available. The candidate replacement name will replace the derogatory modifier. For example, “Castle Creek” is the...
What is Secretary’s Order 3404 and the DOI Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force?
Secretary's Order (S.O.) 3404 , issued on November 19, 2021, declared the word “sq___” to be derogatory and directed a series of Department of the Interior (DOI) actions to replace the word in all geographic names used by the federal government. S.O. 3404 established a 13-member Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force to reconcile the derogatory geographic feature names. It included...
Related Content
How did the Secretary’s Order 3404 Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force reach a final decision on replacement names?
Secretary's Order 3404 outlined a process that concluded in 2022. The Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force reviewed all candidate names, including those generated by the U.S. Geological Survey, received by the Board on Geographic Names (BGN) as part of a formal proposal prior to January 24, 2022, or contributed through a public comment period (February 23 to April 25, 2022) or Tribal...
Does the Board on Geographic Names (BGN) decide what is derogatory or offensive?
The BGN’s Principles, Policies, and Procedures document includes a Policy on Derogatory and Offensive Names. As of 2023, three words are declared derogatory in all occurrences: In 1963, the BGN, at the request of the Secretary of the Interior, mandated that the pejorative form of the word “Negro” be eliminated from all federal maps and publications. The word was replaced with “Negro” for all...
What words are considered “Derogatory” under Secretary’s Orders 3404 and 3405?
Secretary's Order 3404 and the Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force considered only the word “sq___” to be within its scope. Secretary’s Order 3405 , also issued on November 19, 2021, created an Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names for DOI to receive input from interested parties regarding additional derogatory terms; derogatory terms applied to federal land units; and to...
What criteria did the Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force apply to select replacement names under Secretary’s Order 3404?
A list of five candidate names for each geographic feature was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey as directed by Secretary's Order 3404 . The candidate replacement names were derived through a search of nearby named geographic features until at least five nearby names were available. The candidate replacement name will replace the derogatory modifier. For example, “Castle Creek” is the...
What is Secretary’s Order 3404 and the DOI Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force?
Secretary's Order (S.O.) 3404 , issued on November 19, 2021, declared the word “sq___” to be derogatory and directed a series of Department of the Interior (DOI) actions to replace the word in all geographic names used by the federal government. S.O. 3404 established a 13-member Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force to reconcile the derogatory geographic feature names. It included...