§ 2-15-149 — Naming Of Sites And Geographic Features -- Replacement Of Word "squaw", "half-Breed", Or "breed" -- Advisory Group

2-15-149 . Naming of sites and geographic features -- replacement of word "squaw", "half-breed", or "breed" -- advisory group. (1) The state director of Indian affairs shall appoint an advisory group, which must include a member of the Little Shell Chippewa tribe, to serve on a volunteer basis to consult with local agencies, organizations, and individuals to reach a consensus on developing names to replace present site or geographic names that contain the word "squaw", "half-breed", or "breed".
(2) Each agency of state government that owns or manages public land in the state shall identify any features or places under its jurisdiction that contain the word "squaw", "half-breed", or "breed" and inform the advisory group of the agency's identification of features or places containing any of those words. The agency shall ensure that whenever the agency updates a map or replaces a sign, an interpretive marker, or any other marker because of wear or vandalism, the word "squaw", "half-breed", or "breed" is removed and replaced with the name chosen by the advisory group.
(3) The advisory group shall:
(a) notify the U.S. forest service, the Montana departments of commerce and natural resources and conservation, and any other entity that compiles information for and develops maps for the state or for public use of the name change so that it may be reflected on subsequent editions of any maps or informational literature produced by those entities; and
(b) place a formal request with the United States board on geographic names to render a decision on the proposed name change so that the new name will be reflected on all United States board on geographic names maps.

Legislative History

En. Sec. 1, Ch. 307, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 164, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 238, L. 2015.