Maine House votes to ban use of word "squaw"

Wednesday, March 15th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Augusta, Maine-AP) -- Responding to pleas from Native Americans, the Maine legislature took an initial step today in removing "squaw" from the names of mountains, waterways and
townships in Maine.

State Representative Donna Loring represents the Penobscot Nation in the legislature. She says the word "was cast upon us by white settlers." Minutes later, the House voted 129-to-17 in favor of the ban. The bill faces further House and Senate action.

Loring, a non-voting House member, says the word is "dirty, degrading and shameful." The word appears on about two dozen sites
around the state.

The bill has the support of all five of Maine's Indian tribes. Governor Angus King says he is sympathetic to the bill.

Minnesota and Montana have purged the word "squaw" from their public sites.