The term “squaw” has a long and painful history, evolving from a linguistic misunderstanding into a powerful ethnic and sexual slur. While its exact origins are debated by linguists—some tracing it to the Massachusett word uskwa or the Mohawk isquah, simply meaning “woman”—the word was weaponized by European settlers. Over centuries, it was used to dehumanize Indigenous women, reducing them to caricatures and stripping them of their dignity. To many Native American communities, the word is not just an outdated term; it is a “legacy of violence” that connotes a specific type of misogyny and colonialism.
The Shift at Palisades Tahoe
For decades, Squaw Valley, the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, bore this name despite growing protests from the Washoe Tribe (the original inhabitants of the land). In September 2021, the resort officially rebranded as Palisades Tahoe.
The decision was driven by several key factors:
- Recognition of Harm: The resort management acknowledged that the name was offensive and inconsistent with their values of inclusivity. They stated that “squaw” was a derogatory term that caused deep pain to the Washoe people.
- Washoe Tribe Advocacy: The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California had spent decades advocating for the change, explaining that the name felt like a constant insult on their ancestral grounds.
- A Broader Cultural Movement: The change mirrored a nationwide push to remove offensive names from public lands, spearheaded by the Department of the Interior, which officially declared the term “squaw” derogatory in 2021.
The new name, Palisades, refers to the sheer granite cliffs that define the mountain’s topography, particularly the famous “Palisades” area known to extreme skiers. By pivoting to a name rooted in the physical landscape rather than a slur, the resort aimed to honor the land’s history without perpetuating the trauma of its inhabitants.