The popular California ski resort - now formally known as Squaw Valley - has received a new name due to the "derogatory and offensive" connotations of its previous title.
After a year of resort officials seeking a new name for the skiing hot spot, it was announced on Monday (September 13) that the popular destination will now be known as Palisades Tahoe.
The resort - which is nestled between the mountains of Lake Tahoe - received global attention back in 1960 after hosting the 1960 Winter Olympic Games. And for decades, members of the Washoe Tribe has been fighting for change, NBC Bay Area reports.
Dee Byrne, the President and COO of Palisades Tahoe, said of the change: "It was the right thing to do and I think it’s going to make a difference. I think we’re going to be seen as a more welcoming, inclusive resort and community."
The historic name change was announced to the public via the resort's social media channels, with an accompanying video package.
A tweet from officials read: "For more than a year, our community has been waiting & wondering what the new name for our mountains would be. Today marks the first day of the next chapter of our resort’s storied history. While the name may be new, the legend of these valleys continue on, now as Palisades Tahoe."
In the video, a voiceover can be heard saying: "Our old name didn't match our values, our spirit, or who we are."
The video also states that the new name of Palisades Tahoe will "carry forth the best of [its] past and the promise of a bright future".
According to NBC Bay Area, the word "squaw" was derived from the Algonquin language and is believed to have once simply meant "woman". However, experts say that, over time, the word has been used as a racist and misogynist slur against Indigenous women.
Darrel Cruz of the Washoe Tribe Historic Preservation Office described the word in a statement as a "constant reminder of those time periods when it was not good for us. It’s a term that was inflicted upon us by somebody else and we don’t agree with it."
Washoe Tribal Chairman Serrell Smokey has revealed that the tribal council is appreciative of the name change, describing it as a "positive step forward".