This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

DENVER (KDVR) — The Colorado Department of Natural Resources held a meeting Sunday with the Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board.

“My feeling on these is they all use the derogatory term ‘squaw’,” a member of the board said.  

The board was established by Governor Jared Polis to evaluate proposals concerning name changes, new names, and name controversies of geographic features and certain public places in the State of Colorado. After this, official recommendations are made to the Governor. 

“I too think the name is offensive and should be changed,” a member of the public who spoke during the public comment section of the zoom meeting said.  

The meeting was focused on consideration of the local government, tribal and general public renaming proposals related to the U.S. Department of Interior’s Secretarial Order 3404, which declares “squaw” a derogatory term.  

“Tribal governments have a special process through this, that will extend to the end,” the leader of the meeting stated.

The word is offensive to Native American women. Many people of the public are chiming in pitching names they favor the location.

“It’s a magnificent mountain. It’s the first thing we see every day and the last thing we see every evening,” one public commenter said.

For more information on Sunday’s meeting click here.