BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Two Native American women have asked the city of Buffalo to rename Squaw Island because they say the term is antiquated and offensive.
Common Council members this week said city lawyers are researching how to go about changing the name. They’re also looking into who owns the 60-acre island in the Niagara River — the city or the Seneca Indian Nation, which occupied the area until the early 19th century.
The Buffalo News (http://bit.ly/1ATMwK7 ) says Mohawk member Jodi Lynn Maracle and Seneca member Agnes Williams were at City Hall on Tuesday to support a name change.
Several council members support the idea.
Squaw is seen as a derogatory term for an American Indian woman.
———
Information from: The Buffalo News, http://www.buffalonews.com
