Oregon Poised to Erase Offensive Place Names Like China Man Hat and Squaw Creek from Maps

Place names like China Man Hat, Squaw Creek, and Cannibal Mountain may soon disappear from Oregon maps if a House Bill to remove derogatory names is passed by the Senate.

House Bill 3532 describes the names of those three locations, as well as certain other landmarks such as valleys, roads, and mountains dotted around the state, as offensive.

107 Offensive Location Names Were Identified in 2001

The bill expands on House Bill 488, which identified 107 offensive location names when legislated in 2001. However, many of those names remain unchanged.

Three of the present-day locations are China Man Hat, a mountain in Josephine County; Squaw Creek – the term ‘squaw’ has long been regarded as a slur to indigenous communities – in Douglas County; and Cannibal Mountain in Lincoln County.

House Bill 3532 is spearheaded by Tawna Sanchez, D-Portland, and if passed by the Senate, will be implemented in collaboration with the Oregon Historical Society to ensure that the renaming process is conducted comprehensively.