PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A South Dakota board has set up a new process to involve the public in getting rid of offensive names for creeks, gulches and other places.
The state Board of Geographic Names was created by the South Dakota Legislature to find new names for offensively named places that mostly now use the terms squaw or Negro.
The board has agreed to use Negro Creek in Meade County as a test case for the new public involvement process. People can suggest new names for the creek. After a public hearing, the state panel will make a recommendation to a national board that has the final say on place names.
About 20 South Dakota places have been renamed in the past decade, but at least 15 remain to be changed.
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