From the archives, Jan. 2, 2004 —
Unknown News dialogue
Here in Phoenix, there's a good sized mountain in the middle of the city covered with hiking trails. For the 25 years I've been here the name of that mountain has been the subject of many discussions, arguments and editorials. The name ... Squaw Peak ... was offensive to some, unpolitically correct to some others, and unimportant to many. Still the city was in regular turmoil over what to do about "the problem."
Last year, unfortunately the whole issue was solved. I say unfortunately because a beautiful brave young woman had to die in the process.
Piestewa Peak is a living monument to the courage of Lori Piestewa. It comes with a whole slew of streets, parkways, and freeways that also invoke her name thousands of times every day. It's the perfect solution to an old problem. And a wonderful way to honor a true hero.
=Tess Ellis=
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Republicans want park's name restored to 'Squaw Peak'It had been re-named for soldier killed in Iraq
by Amanda J. Crawford, The Arizona Republic [Phoenix]
Jan. 10, 2004
Just when you learned to pronounce pie-ESS-ta-wah . . .
A state legislator wants to replace the panel that changed the name of Squaw Peak to Piestewa Peak with appointees who may be willing to restore the original name.
Republicans in the state House of Representatives want to take control of the Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names away from the Governor's Office.
Some say Gov. Janet Napolitano unduly influenced last year's decision to honor a fallen soldier, Spc. Lori Piestewa of Tuba City. Even Napolitano says the change was handled badly.
Rep. Phil Hanson, R-Peoria, lead sponsor of the bill, said he hopes a board appointed by legislative leaders will rescind the April decision and bring back the name "Squaw."
"This should have been a non-political decision, and it was made a total political decision," Hanson said. "This whole thing was a disservice to Lori Piestewa."
The bill is co-sponsored by all but one of the 39 House Republicans.
Any move to change the peak's name back to Squaw will likely meet with opposition.
"We would not be going forward . . . we would be going backward," said Alida Montiel of the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, which supported the change to Piestewa Peak.
"With Piestewa there is common ground among tribes, veterans and a lot of people who feel the word 'squaw' is derogatory."
The hullabaloo over Piestewa Peak has yet to subside.
A Phoenix advisory board this week was unable to reach a decision about renaming the city's Squaw Peak Recreation Area in light of the adjacent mountain's new name. Supporters say the name change was an appropriate way to honor the Hopi woman who last spring became the first Native American female to die in combat for the United States, while disposing of the name "Squaw," which is seen by some as offensive.
But Hanson and other critics question the independence of a board with six of its nine members employed by the state. They accuse Napolitano of steamrolling through the proposal for political gain and pressuring board members into ignoring rules.
National guidelines require a person to be dead for five years before a geographic feature is named for him or her.
The name change for the Phoenix peak was made by the state board about a month after Piestewa's death but won't be considered at the national level until 2008.
"I have not seen such dirty politics in my three years in the Legislature," Hanson said, noting that one board member resigned instead of hearing the proposal and that a Napolitano aide pressured another to quit.
The bill would strip the board of any gubernatorial influence by having eight of the nine members appointed by legislators. The remaining appointment would go to the executive director of the Arizona Historical Society.
Napolitano's spokeswoman, Jeanine L'Ecuyer, notes that it is "unusual but not unheard of" to have boards appointed by the Legislature.
"What the governor has consistently said is, 'Our process was flawed, we made mistakes and it won't happen that way again, but the outcome was exactly the right outcome,' " L'Ecuyer said.
House Majority Leader Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert, said he is not supporting the bill to get the Squaw Peak moniker back.
Instead, he thinks the change would create "a board with at least some modicum of autonomy."
"Piestewa Peak, whether you support the name or not, is always going to have a stain on it because of the process," he added.
Board Chairwoman Linda Strock, a Department of Economic Security employee, said board policies and procedures are being reviewed in response to last year's action.
She said it is unfortunate that the board's decision to commemorate Piestewa's sacrifice was "overshadowed by the perception of the political events that influenced it."
Published by The Arizona Republic [Phoenix] This material is copyrighted by its original publisher.
It is reprinted by Unknown News without permission, solely for purposes of criticism, comment, and news reporting, in accordance with the Fair Use Guidelines of copyright material under § 107 of U.S.C. Title 17.
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