Opinion

Editorial: Approve designation of Piestewa Peak

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

"The time has arrived to permanently name one of the Valley’s most prominent mountains for a fallen soldier, and to set aside years of lingering resentment about how the change came about.

The U.S. Board of Geographic Names is scheduled to vote April 10 on the designation of Piestewa Peak, the craggy desert mountain along state Route 51 that is still known by many longtime residents as Squaw Peak.

The vote really is a formality, as Arizona changed the mountain’s name five years ago to honor Army Spc. Lori Piestewa, who died in March 2003 during the Iraq invasion and became the first American Indian woman to be killed in combat while serving in the U.S. military. The freeway’s secondary name, along with local maps, the park around the mountain and various government facilities in the area, has been updated as well.

The federal board didn’t join Arizona in adopting Piestewa Peak, keeping with its policy of requiring five years to pass before a geographic feature can be named for someone who has died. The wisdom of that policy is evident as some Valley residents still are angry that Gov. Janet Napolitano and her appointees on the state geographic names board rushed through the original change in 2003 while running roughshod over those who wanted more time for deliberation."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Feds should give final OK to peak’s name change (The East Valley Tribune 4/1)