Politically Correct Trail Name Changes

jgrecojgreco
in The Pit Posts: 321
I noticed that between the 2016 and 2017 trail maps, Big Sky changed the name of Wounded Knee to Spotted Elk (Chief of the Miniconjou, Lakota Sioux, who was killed at the Wounded Knee Massacre). 

Have you encountered any other trails that have changed names due to their old names being somewhat politically incorrect? 

I hope we can avoid debate over reasons for name changes being justified or not, or an overall political debate. Just thought this was an interesting change.
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Comments

  • pagamonypagamony
    Posts: 220
    Wounded Knee is a great name for a ski slope, too bad.  

    Massanutten in Virginia had a bunch of dixie theme trail names such as rebel yell that were changed about five years ago.  I can't even remember the original names anymore.

  • jaytremjaytrem
    Posts: 745
    pagamony said:

    Wounded Knee is a great name for a ski slope, too bad.  


    Massanutten in Virginia had a bunch of dixie theme trail names such as rebel yell that were changed about five years ago.  I can't even remember the original names anymore.

    Kings Dominion just changed the name of a coaster from Rebel Yell to Racer 75.
  • newmannewman
    Posts: 456
    pagamony said:

    Wounded Knee is a kgreat name for a ski slope, too bad.  


    Massanutten in Virginia had a bunch of dixie theme trail names such as rebel yell that were changed about five years ago.  I can't even remember the original names anymore.

    </blockquote

    Dixie Dare

  • newmannewman
    Posts: 456
    I remember talk of wanting Big Squaw to change its name. Does anyone remember the politically incorrect Big Squaw emblem with the girl with the feathered headband?
  • obienickobienick
    Posts: 1,435
    The state changed the name of the mountain. The ski area still keeps the original name, but not that logo.  People are pretty quiet about it but I saw a "visitor post" on their Facebook page a week or so ago complaining about the name.

    Didn't Tenney have a similarly racist logo when it was Lookout for a year or so?
  • newmannewman
    edited February 2018 Posts: 456
    I found the girl image, but have no clue on how to post images anymore. I think the name they wanted was Big Moose Mt. I couldn't find any Lookout logos anyplace. On another note, the old Vernon Valley NJ had a half black, half white down the middle skier.
  • ciscokidciscokid
    edited February 2018 Posts: 5,277
    There's a Rebel Yell trail at Boyne Highlands

    image
  • newmannewman
    Posts: 456
    Thanks Cisco. She has quite the ski outfit. Looks like the kind of girl Captain Kirk would meet skiing on Riegal 12.
  • 210210
    Posts: 87
    The trail "Trump" is still named "Trump" at Deer Valley...  ;)
  • ceoceo
    Posts: 292
    If we're moving away from trail names that perpetuate ethnic stereotypes, Nashoba needs to change all of theirs. 
  • joshua_segaljoshua_segal
    Posts: 4,839
    At Ragged Mtn., there was reported to me to be a trail in a region of the ski area that were both changed because some found the combination of the name of the region and the trail through it to be racist toward African Americans. 

    The region is the Gorge between Ragged and Spear.  The trail going through it was renamed "Rags to Riches" (if I remember right).


  • JMaulJMaul
    Posts: 580
    210 said:

    The trail "Trump" is still named "Trump" at Deer Valley...  ;)


    image
    You ski because even if you don't do it well, it's still a blast....
  • rickbolgerrickbolger
    edited February 2018 Posts: 2,962
    Stratton still has a trail with the outrageous name of White Birch 
  • NJSkiNJSki
    Posts: 445

    I am sure a Social Justice Warrior could have a field day at Deer Valley.

    Besides Trump; (Mr) Burns lift, Lucky Bill

    Red Cloud, Square Deal, Custer, Big Stick, Muldoon, Tycoon, etc....


  • joshua_segaljoshua_segal
    Posts: 4,839
    NJSki said:

    I am sure a Social Justice Warrior could have a field day at Deer Valley.

    Besides Trump; (Mr) Burns lift, Lucky Bill

    Red Cloud, Square Deal, Custer, Big Stick, Muldoon, Tycoon, etc....


    I think the topic is not about un-PC trail names, but un-PC trail names that were actually changed because they were un-PC..
  • jgrecojgreco
    Posts: 321
    joshua_segal said:

    NJSki said:

    I think the topic is not about un-PC trail names, but un-PC trail names that were actually changed because they were un-PC..

    Correct. Maybe a better/wider topic could be trail names that have changed for non-marketing reasons, but that may be too much overlap with Trail Names with Interesting Backstories.
  • rickbolgerrickbolger
    Posts: 2,962
    Okemo had a trail called Squaw, I know that's politically incorrect.

    They also had a trail called Peacepipe, from what I read that is now considered politically incorrect.  I won't question that, since we aren't here to do that, but I am compelled to point out  that they could've saved money by just sawing the smoking mechanism part off the trail signs, and it would've been fine.
  • newmannewman
    Posts: 456
    Okemo has Chief. I'd say that's after a KC player so it's good.
  • obienickobienick
    Posts: 1,435
    The Square Deal was a very progressive movement by the Endicott Johnson Company of Endicott, NY

  • obienickobienick
    edited February 2018 Posts: 1,435
    Warrior, Chief, Tomahawk, etc. at Nashoba are not racist or politically incorrect.  Squaw is a racist and sexist term and Chief Wahoo of the Indians is most certainly very racist. 
  • lotsoskiinglotsoskiing
    Posts: 3,575
    newman said:

    Okemo has Chief. I'd say that's after a KC player so it's good.

    Chief is not exclusively a Native American term... Fire Chief, Chief of Police, Chief of Course (ski racing)...

    I don't see anything racist or improper about naming trails after things that actually existed in that culture (peacepipe, wampum, even squaw). What is not right is a lampoon of it, such as Chief Wahoo or the Big Squaw cartoon.
  • newmannewman
    Posts: 456
    What is Chief Wahoo from?
  • obienickobienick
    edited February 2018 Posts: 1,435
    Indians baseball.

  • lotsoskiinglotsoskiing
    Posts: 3,575
    obienick said:

    Indians baseball.


    Gone from uniform in a year. 
  • rickbolgerrickbolger
    Posts: 2,962
    Another was NWA wrestler Chief Wahoo McDaniel.  He was Choctaw.    Holds a punting record at University of Oklahoma, played for the Jets when I was a kid.  Fans would yell "tackle by who?.....WAHOO!"   I did not realize it was racism!

    image

    image
  • NJSkiNJSki
    Posts: 445
    lotsoskiing said:

    newman said:

    Okemo has Chief. I'd say that's after a KC player so it's good.

    Chief is not exclusively a Native American term... Fire Chief, Chief of Police, Chief of Course (ski racing)...

    The Indian gentleman who works at the Dunkin Donuts by me calls everyone Chief, and no one seems offended.
  • jgrecojgreco
    Posts: 321
    Thread has left the rails...
  • NJSkiNJSki
    Posts: 445
    I never got to ski at Brodie, but I am curious: As an Irishman, would someone of Irish ethnicity have been offended by the theme and trail names there?
  • coreshotcoreshot
    edited February 2018 Posts: 5
    NJSki said:

    I never got to ski at Brodie, but I am curious: As an Irishman, would someone of Irish ethnicity have been offended by the theme and trail names there?


    There was a black diamond named Drunk Abusive Father...
  • khowleykhowley
    Posts: 101
    NJSki said:

    I never got to ski at Brodie, but I am curious: As an Irishman, would someone of Irish ethnicity have been offended by the theme and trail names there?

    As an Irishman, I'm not the least bit offended. 
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