Squaw Valley Announces Brand-New Name

After much conversation and deliberation, Squaw Valley has announced its new name will be…

Palisades Tahoe! That’s right, one of Northern California’s most legendary ski resorts will enter the 2021-22 ski season with a brand new name and orange/blue branding, eliminating the “Squaw” name that was deemed offensive by Native American groups.

“For more than a year, our community has been waiting, wondering and guessing what the new name for our mountains would be. Today marks the first day of the next chapter of our resort’s storied history,” the resort said in a statement. “From our founding in 1949 and hosting the 1960 Winter Olympics, to the freeskiing pioneers and Olympians that put us on the map, the last seven decades have cemented our mountains’ place in the halls of ski history. While the name may be new, the legend and legacy of these valleys continue on, now as Palisades Tahoe.”

The new logo includes an eagle perched atop KT-22:

According to advocacy groups, the term “squaw” is equivalent to the “c-word” for Native American women. The term was used to describe indigenous women during America’s brutal campaign of slavery and slaughter of Native American tribes in the 1700’s and 1800’s. To some, the name represents a legacy of violence against Native Americans.

The word has been successfully erased from other areas of NorCal in the recent decade. In 2011, the California Office of Historic Preservation renamed “Squaw Rock” on Highway 1010 near the Sonoma-Mendocino county line to Frog Woman Rock. In 2018, Sierra Nevada peak “Squaw Ridge” was renamed Hungalelti Ridge in coordination with the nearby Washoe tribe.

The ski resort is far from the only business to use the word in the the north Tahoe area near Truckee dubbed “Squaw Valley.” In fact, most businesses and organizations in the historic Olympic Village use the word, and the ski resort could set off a domino effect with the new name Palisades.

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

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