A ski area changed its ‘derogatory’ name. Now the public service district is, too

The Squaw Valley Public Service District said Tuesday it was changing its name to Olympic Valley Public Service District, following the Squaw Valley ski resort’s announcement earlier the same day it would remove the word “squaw” from its name. The term is a derogatory way to refer to Native American women, officials said, and there have been movements to remove it from place names for decades.

Although both the ski resort and the public service district are located in Olympic Valley, a number of businesses and groups have used “Squaw Valley” in their titles for years. Resort employees began talking about a name change decades ago and renewed the discussion this summer amid a larger push to rename brands, places and monuments whose monikers have racist roots. The Lake Tahoe-area ski resort Squaw Valley decided to drop the word “squaw” from its name, ownership announced Tuesday, saying the term is “derogatory and offensive” toward Native Americans.

“I think what pushed it over the top was deeper knowledge of how the word was used and what it meant, and how offensive it is to Native Americans,” said Mike Geary, general manager of the Olympic Valley Public Service District, which oversees the fire department and other essential services in the area.

Geary said many had been unaware of the name’s connotation, pointing to a difference between intent and impact.

“It wasn’t an easy decision for our board because there’s a lot of people in our community that cling to that name,” he said. “We never intended for it to be offensive, but upon doing some deeper research you realize how offensive it really is.”

Discussion with members of the local Washoe tribe, as well as historical research demonstrated the word “squaw” became a slur over the centuries as white settlers used it to demean Native American women, according to the August 25 public service district board report that suggested a name change. The push to change to “Olympic Valley” prevailed.

The public service district will need to swap out their signs, uniforms and more to reflect the name change, according to the report.

Squaw Valley ski resort opened in 1949, at which point the area went by the same name. In 1960, the city changed its name to Olympic Valley when it hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics.

Despite the city’s new name, a number of businesses continued using the word “squaw.” A shopping center called the Village at Squaw Valley includes Squaw Bikes, Squaw Valley Outfitters, Squaw Dogs and more. Representatives from area businesses did not return requests for comment on whether they might also change their names.

This story was originally published August 26, 2020 at 10:24 AM with the headline "A ski area changed its ‘derogatory’ name. Now the public service district is, too."