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Squaw Valley Ski Resort announces new name

After more than a year of deliberating a new name change for Squaw Valley Ski, the resort announced Monday that it will be called Palisades Tahoe.

Credit: AP

The Olympic rings stand atop a sign at the entrance to the Squaw Valley Ski Resort in Olympic Valley, Calif., July 8, 2020. California's Squaw Valley Ski Resort is considering changing its name to remove "squaw," a derogatory term for Native American women. Squaw Valley President & CEO Ron Cohen says resort officials are meeting with shareholders and the local Washoe tribal leadership to get their input. He says he can't give a timeline on when the decision will be made. The renaming of Squaw Valley Ski Resort is one of many efforts across the nation to address colonialism and indigenous oppression. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)

OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. — After more than a year of deliberating, the Squaw Valley Ski announced on Monday its new name after receiving backlash.

Squaw Valley Ski resort renamed itself Palisades Tahoe to "capture the unique spirit," according to its news release. The resort also changed its logo to an eagle overlooking mountains.

"Today marks the first day of the next chapter of our resort’s storied history," the resort said in its social media post. "While the name may be new, the legend and legacy of these valleys continue on, now as Palisades Tahoe."

Welcome to Palisades Tahoe
For more than a year, our community has been waiting, wondering and guessing what the new name for our mountains would be. Today marks the first day of the next chapter of our resort’s storied history. From our founding in 1949 and hosting the 1960 Winter Olympics, to the freeskiing pioneers and Olympians that put us on the map, the last seven decades have cemented our mountains’ place in the halls of ski history. While the name may be new, the legend and legacy of these valleys continue on, now as Palisades Tahoe. https://www.palisadestahoe.com/new-name
Posted by Palisades Tahoe on Monday, September 13, 2021

Squaw Valley Ski resort came under fire for using Squaw, a derogatory term used to refer to women in the Native American community.

It derived from the Algonquin language, may have once simply meant “woman,” but over generations, the word morphed into a misogynist and racist term to disparage indigenous women.

Last year, Washoe Tribe Chairman Serrell Smokey said the name Squaw Valley is a constant reminder of efforts to disparage native people.

Today Smokey commended the resort for making the name change.

"We are very pleased with this decision; today is a day that many have worked towards for decades," Smokey said. "The Washoe Tribal Council recognizes the significance of the name change and on behalf of the Washoe people expresses its great appreciation for this positive step forward.”

The resort hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics.

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