Lake CdA bay now ‘Neachen’

Lake Coeur d’Alene’s Squaw Bay is now Neachen Bay.

The name change is among eight that have been approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names in an effort to rid the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s traditional territory of offensive “squaw” names, the board’s research chief, Jennifer Runyon, said Saturday.

Neachen is a phonetically spelled tribal word that refers to the tribe’s former practice of hunting deer by driving them into Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Runyon said other new names approved Thursday were Steamchet Creek, in Kootenai County; Spotwean Peak, Lockensuit Spring and Telichpah Creek, all in Shoshone County; and Nehchen Bluff (formerly Squaw Hump), Nehchen Creek and Squeatah Creek, on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation in Benewah and Kootenai counties.

“Steamchet” means eldest daughter, “spotwean” is a matriarch, “lockensuit” is a sweatlodge and Telichpah was a woman who lived near Avery.

Nehchen was the wife of the last Coeur d’Alene chief to govern solely on a hereditary basis. She also was known as Ann Marie Moctelme.

Squeatah, also known as Mary Massislaw, was an Upper Spokane Indian relocated to the Coeur d’Alene Reservation.

All of the changes were proposed by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and – except for those entirely on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation – endorsed by the Idaho Geographic Names Board. The reservation name changes went straight to the federal board.

Runyon said the Shoshone County government opposed the changes, Kootenai County officials were divided, and Benewah County deferred to the tribe on name changes within the Coeur d’Alene Reservation.

In addition, the U.S. Forest Service has renamed a lookout station in Sanders County, Mont., and now is expected to rename its Squaw Creek Campground in Shoshone County to match the creek’s new name: Telichpah Creek.

Five other “squaw” name changes proposed by the Coeur d’Alene and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are still pending in Idaho, Washington and Montana.

Spokane County commissioners have deferred until Tuesday a decision on what, if any, advice to give the Washington State Board on Geographic Names about the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s request to change Squaw Creek to Awtskin Creek. Many residents along the creek would prefer Jack Pine Creek.

Whitman County commissioners have endorsed Jack Pine as the new name for the creek and a canyon through which it flows in Whitman County.

Tribal officials say “awtskin” means lookout, referring in this case to an 1858 battle in which several tribes defeated Army Lt. Col. Edward Steptoe. The Coeur d’Alene Tribe said they had to be on the lookout for the retaliation that followed.

Tribal proposals to rename a pair of Squaw creeks in Clearwater County are scheduled to go before the Idaho Geographic Names Board on Oct. 12. The Coeur d’Alene Tribe wants to substitute names meaning sister-in-law (“seastem”) and aunt (“teakweh”).

Still pending before a Montana state committee created to address “squaw” names is a joint proposal of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to rename a creek in Sanders County. The proposed name, Sqaylth-kwum, refers to a place where falling waters can be heard.