Montana Geographic Names Advisor
Geographic Name Change Request
Change Squaw Coulee to Big Sagebrush Coulee
Judith Basin County and Fergus County, Montana
Status =
Approved
| Description |
valley,
17 km (11 mi) long,
heads at 47°06’27”N, 109°59’41”W, 17 km (10 mi) NNE of Moccasin, 37 km (23 mi) NW of Lewistown |
| Location |
47°12’08”N, 109°52’17”W |
| PLSS Location |
Tps16-17N, R15E |
| Proposal |
to change a name considered by some to be derogatory |
| Proponent |
Judith Basin County Commission |
| Not |
Squaw Coulee |
| Administrative area |
None |
| Previous BGN Action |
None |
| See also |
39607 |
| GNIS ID |
777119
|
| Local Usage |
None found
|
| Published |
Squaw Coulee (USGS 1970, 1974, 1991; DeLorme Montana Atlas & Gazetteer, 1994; SummitPost website; Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks Prairie Streams Survey, 2005; Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks Project Performance Report; The Newberry Library Inventory of Virgil J. Vogel Research and Personal Papers, 1941-1993)
|
The name Squaw Coulee applies currently to a 17 km (11 mi) long valley in eastern Judith Basin County and western Fergus County, approximately 17 km (10 mi) north-northeast of Moccasin. The origin of the name has not been determined; the earliest map on which it has been located is the 1970 USGS topographic map.
The first proposal, for In-poo-poo-neh Coulee, was submitted by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes; the name is of the Salish and Pend d’Oreille origin and means “place of big sagebrush.” The second proposal was submitted by the Judith Basin County Commissioners in response to a request for comments on the Salish name. The County Commissioners state they are not opposed to renaming the valley, but suggest In-poo-poo-neh Coulee “would not be appropriate for this area.” The Montana State Names Authority recommends approval of In-poo-poo-neh Coulee. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the Chair of the House Bill 412 Committee were advised of the counter-proposal, but declined to offer any further comment.
According to GNIS, there are 12 other features in Montana named “Sagebrush,” including another valley named Sagebrush Coulee in Liberty County, approximately 158 km (98 mi) from the valley in question. There is a dam in Fergus County, 97 km (60 mi) from the valley in question, named Sagebrush Number 3 Dam.
|
| Montana Geographic Names Advisor Recommendation -
Oppose
(Thursday, February 21, 2008)
|
| Domestic Names Committee Decision Date -
Thursday, May 8, 2008 |
Domestic Names Committee Discussion -
A motion was made and seconded to approve the change to Big Sagebrush Coulee.
Vote: 8 in favor
3 against
0 abstentions
The negative votes were cast in support of the recommendation of the State Names Authority.
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