Native groups say Yokuts Valley’s former name is a slur. Fresno County wants to change it back

Good morning. It’s Wednesday, Jan. 31. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

• A battle over a small community’s name rages in Fresno County
• A massacre near San Bernardino adds to grim toll of illegal pot violence in the desert
• 10 beloved L.A. trees that Angelenos should enjoy — and protect at all costs
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper
  

A name battle rages in Fresno County

This town nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills is known as the Yokuts Valley in the eyes of the federal government, California Legislature and some residents. But in Fresno County it had been called by a different name: Squaw Valley, which Native American groups had long criticized as offensive. (I wrote the old name once for clarity, but will refer to it as the “S-word” moving forward.)

“The word, many Native Americans say, has been used as a slur and insult against Native women, part of a broader perpetuation of violence against them,” Times reporter Melissa Gomez wrote this week.

The renaming effort was one part of a larger effort to rename hundreds of geographic features and other sites that feature the S-word. In 2021, U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland banned the word and ordered that it be changed wherever it was found. Then in 2022, California lawmakers passed and Gov. Newsom signed a law to remove the word from nearly 100 places in the state.

Although there’s been strong support at the state and federal level, Fresno County’s leaders are fighting the change to Yokuts Valley, home to about 3,600 people. Officials there filed a lawsuit against the state last year, arguing that the name change violated the 1st Amendment. A judge dismissed the case, though the county has said it will appeal.

Then in September, the County Board of Supervisors voted 3 to 2 to put a measure on the March ballot to let voters decide whether that governing body has sole authority to change the names of places within its jurisdiction.

Native American activists had previously launched a community petition to change the name, which was sent as part of the federal appeal process. Members of the Dunlap Band of Mono Indians, whose ancestral home includes the area of Yokuts Valley, viewed the change as a victory. Some see the county’s ongoing opposition as an effort to sow political division during election season.

“Erasure and invisibility, that’s what we’re fighting against,” Morning Star Gali, executive director of Indigenous Justice, told Melissa. “It’s not just a word. It’s a word that holds that history and that context and that meaning.”

Although some scholars maintain the S-word originated as a generalized term for Native American women, others say the term was used to denigrate and dehumanize them.

Supervisor Nathan Magsig, who represents Yokuts Valley, pushed for the ballot measure and said changing places’ names is a “local matter” that should be left to the county to decide.

Magsig, formerly a youth pastor and mayor of Clovis, has questioned just how derogatory the S-word is. He told Melissa that “history is not perfect, but we need to not erase that.”

You can read more about this word battle in Melissa’s story.

Today’s top stories

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(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Commentary and opinions

• LZ Granderson: The border crisis is real. That’s why Trump is blocking solutions.
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• Dylan Hernández: Dodgers’ pitch made them offseason winners. Is it enough to win in October?
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Today’s great reads

Decades ago, Annie Murphy of Riverside gave birth to a boy fathered by an Irish bishop.

(Gillian Buckley)

In Riverside, she was a nobody. In Ireland, her affair with a bishop rocked the Catholic Church. Annie Murphy, a young American woman, gave birth to a son fathered by an Irish bishop decades ago. Effects of the scandal reverberate to this day.

Other great reads

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How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected].

For your downtime

Three variations of caesar salads.

Going out

• 🥗 No salad says L.A. like the Caesar. 10 of the best to try right now.
• 🌳 10 beloved L.A. trees that Angelenos should enjoy — and protect at all costs.
• 🍪 Coming to a market near you? Vegan foie gras, Super Mario cookies and chickpea marshmallow creme.

Staying in

• 📖 With Mindy Kaling in her corner, author Amina Akhtar sets out to shake rather than strangle stereotypes in her new book.
• 🏈 Super Bowl LVIII: Start time, teams, betting odds and halftime show.
• 🥩 Here are some recipes for half-salted steak, the ultimate chocolate chip cookie and more.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

And finally ... a great photo

Show us your favorite place in California! Send us photos you have taken of spots in California that are special — natural or human-made — and tell us why they’re important to you.

Sharp Park golf course in Pacifica.

(Peter Giannousis)

Today’s great photo is from Peter Giannousis of Pacifica: Sharp Park golf course in Pacifica. Peter writes: “So much natural beauty next to the Pacific Ocean. I love the ambience and light changes throughout a day, a week, or a season.”

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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