CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A 15-mile long creek in north suburban Lake County has officially received federal permission for a new name.
The name “Squaw Creek” may still be found on maps, even online but, on Dec. 9, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names officially changed the name of Squaw Creek in Lake County to Manitou Creek.
The creek runs from around Hawthorn Woods up to the Round Lake area, emptying into Long Lake.
Patrick Duby got word of it last week from the office of Congressman Brad Schneider. Duby is chair of the now-Manitou Creek Drainage District Board, which had rallied community support for the name change because of the derogatory meaning of the word squaw.
“I learned the negativity around that name and just said, ‘Maybe it’s time that we can make a difference and remove a little bit of hate from a long-standing name at the same time we’re doing work for the district,” Duby told WBBM Newsradio.
Duby explained how the waterway was initially named for an offensive term for Native American women but changed to a more dignified name.
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“We figured, instead, we’d call it Manitou, which is honoring the spirit of the waterway,” Duby said.
Duby said fellow board member Jim Denomie is Native American and educated the board and the community about the need to change the name. Denomie is a citizen of the Bad River Band Chippewa Tribe while his wife, Barb, is from the sovereign nation of the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin.
Duby said the name change to Manitou Creek received the backing of area residents, businesses and local officials.
He said the community had sent 35 letters of recommendation to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names in support of changing the creek’s name.
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