The toponyms of greatest concern either originated with voyagers and colonists from Europe and their descendants, or filtered through them from Indigenous tongues, sometimes much worse for wear. Most troubling to me is how people have embraced these namings as history, as “our” heritage, without asking if there might be other narratives, too. What of the indivisible ties between land and language in Indigenous traditions? What of names and other linguistic symbols left by those from Africa or Asia who’d come to this continent? What of names signaling hatred and disrespect?
