All offensive place names in Maine changed after lengthy effort

Tuesday, September 6, 2011  

The last six offensive place names in Maine have been changed.

The last six names were in Aroostook County. Commissioners consulted tribes and came up with Scopan, Scopan Inlet, Scopan Knob, Scopan Lake, Scopan Mountain and Scopan Stream.

“It was a long time coming,” John Dieffenbacher-Krall, the executive director of the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission, told The Bangor Daily News. “I think that reflects the relative importance — or lack of importance — non-natives put on issues concerning [native] people.”

The effort began in 2000 with a bill to require the state to change all offensive place names. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names has approved all of the changes.

Get the Story:
Six Aroostook County locations renamed to remove racial slurs (The Bangor Daily News 9/6)