Decolonizing Place Names

Three sixth-grade students from Dillingham Alaska work together to have a local creek’s name changed.

In their previous year of school, they had learned of colonization. This got them thinking about Squaw Creek in their town. The word squaw is outdated and offensive to the indigenous people of Dillingham.

They realized there are six squaw signs in the area. They were able to reach out to elders who guided them in research to find the orientation of the word squaw, its historical use, and how it is used in a derogatory manner most recently.

The elders shared the story of the Seven Sisters who lived by the creek. After learning the history of the Sisters the three students decided it was time to rename the creek to something that honored the culture of the area.

They are in the final steps of renaming the creek bringing respect and dignity to their ancestors and the Yupik people of Dillingham.

Workshop Info

In this professional development course, educators received comprehensive support to engage students in documentary filmmaking. Participants learned how to utilize primary sources from the Library of Congress and incorporated local resources such as Elder interviews, artifacts, photos, and documents. This training equipped teachers with the tools to create enriching, historically grounded educational experiences through the art of documentary filmmaking.

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Land Acknowledgement

This video was filmed on Yup'ik/Cup'ik Land. Learn more about land acknowledgements at native-land.ca.