What’s in a Name? The Importance of Equitable Place Naming Practices for Communities.

As communities across the country seek to update naming practices related to places, buildings, parks, and other infrastructure, a common concern is how to create and implement equitable place naming practices. If naming is claiming, how do city, state, and local agencies create naming policies and practices that honor the people, land, and events of a particular place, while building relationships throughout the community in the process? With thoughtful collaboration, and a commitment to ensuring all voices are heard, it is possible to name a community space in a way that honors the past, engages visitors in the present, and provides a window into the future.

Our research highlights several factors that should be considered when naming a place, whether the name be in connection with a prominent community member, a local Indigenous community, or a historical event. The practice of naming should be thoughtfully approached and guided by a desire to honor and acknowledge the people, history, and events of a particular place.

One of the most important steps to take before any names are considered is to review existing naming policies or guidelines to ensure they support a transparent and inclusive approach. Policies and guidelines should be evaluated regularly to ensure they reflect current knowledge and understanding. Whether starting from scratch or revising existing documentation, some important elements to an inclusive naming policy include the following:

For this article, we examined a case study where a community specifically sought to incorporate Indigenous language in place naming, but the principles of place naming outlined here are relevant to many applications. Utilizing knowledge gained from decades of work with Indigenous communities, coupled with a review of articles, publications, and reports on place naming, the following is a list of foundational assumptions to guide equitable naming practices. Additional consultation and ongoing relationship-building with local tribes and other knowledge keepers in the community will help to expand the principles and actions specific to your project.

• Research the history of the site and understand past and current uses.
• Realize that this history could be painful for past and/or present communities and that its consequences continue to affect those communities.
• Remember that the pressures of European American settlement, along with federal policy and U.S. military action, worked to dispossess tribes of their land and disconnect them from their language and culture.

• Know that language is central to Indigenous culture, identity, and relationship to the land.
• Recognize that in Indigenous communities, naming is deeply rooted in place and history.

• Are there areas within the community that are significant to Indigenous communities and how are these areas currently used?
• Are there any existing names of sites or infrastructure nearby that are considered offensive, inappropriate, or inaccurate?
• How can organizations tasked with place naming go beyond names to support community education and provide context for the name(s)?
• What can be done beyond naming to benefit members of the local community?

• Identify whether there currently are any barriers to community or citizen engagement and/or decision-making related to naming.
• Determine what kinds of communication or consultation have previously taken place with the local community and what the outcomes were.

By engaging your community in the place naming process, you have the power to bring communities together. Equitable place naming practices provide all members of a community with the opportunity to have a say in the decisions that affect their daily lives and the chance to create spaces where those community members can learn and grow together. If you have questions about place naming in your community, please feel free to get in touch https://106group.com/contact-us/

• National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)
  • Park and Recreation Inclusion Report
    • NRPA’s Parks for Inclusion initiative supports built-environment enhancements, model policy development, and best practices for program implementation to increase access to health opportunities for the following populations: Racial and ethnic minorities and new Americans; Individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities; and Members of the LGBTQ community.
• Highline Network
  • Explore the Toolkit (highlinenetwork.org)
    • The Community First Toolkit is designed to help park organizations address inequities caused by infrastructural racism, and shape public spaces that bring social, environmental, and economic benefits to our communities.
• Native Governance Center
  • Sovereignty matters. Native Governance Center
    • Native Governance Center creates accessible, introductory-level resources on a variety of topics related to sovereignty, governance, and nation-rebuilding.
• Native Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
  • Home | NCAI
    • The NCAI Resource Library offers a wide array of searchable resources to support and inform tribal leaders and citizens, and educate the general public and media on proactive policy decisions that can positively impact the future of Native peoples. The Resource library is updated frequently, providing the latest and most relevant information on American Indian and Alaska Native policy matters.

Lindsey is an architectural historian and planner with 15 years of professional experience working at the intersection of historic preservation, cultural resources, grant management, and community development.