COLORADO — The Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board and the federal U.S. Board on Geographic Names are currently considering the renaming of Kit Carson Mountain in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The 14,165-foot peak is located on the Rio Grande National Forest in Saguache County. Both the state and federal boards consider public input to this process. The Colorado board considers both public comment and suggested names and local comment is highly valued.

At issue is renaming the peak from Kit Carson to something else as some find Carson's treatment of Native Americans objectionable. After Saguache County Commissioners voted in favor of a name change in November, Commissioner Liza Marron told the Valley Courier, "Kit Carson was noted for his bravery in settling the West, however, he was involved in the massacres of indigenous peoples and suppression of the Apache and Dine among others. This genocide should not be celebrated.

"It turns out two lower peaks of Kit Carson Mountain have already been renamed; Challenger and Columbia. I would be in favor of a rename of the highest peak, while consulting the community of Crestone and the Ute and Dine people." The commissioners did not suggest a new name.

In 2022, Governor Jared Polis told this reporter, "First, we give heavy weight to what local residents want. The geographic naming board sends recommendations to me that we advance to the federal government. Often it begins with a classroom of students, or local officials, and it builds — and the naming board is part of that. It starts with local residents."

The process to change the name of Kit Carson has begun. The next step is for the Colorado board to decide and make an official recommendation to Polis who will then decide if he endorses the recommendation. If so, that will be forwarded to the federal board. The next meeting of the Colorado board is on January 24. The board may or may not decide at this meeting.

In 2020, Polis created the 15-member state board that makes recommendations to the Governor. The federal U.S. Board on Geographic Names was created in 1890 by an Executive Order from President Benjamin Harrison. The board was established in its present form by Public Law in 1947 to maintain uniform geographic name usage throughout the Federal Government.

The process to submit a proposed name change to the state board is a bit cumbersome. To make a proposed name change to the state board, a proposed name change must first be made to the federal board. A Board on Geographic Names Committee Proposal Form (available at the website address below) must first be submitted to the federal board before individuals can make a recommendation to the state board for a name change. One more hurdle; the public may comment (not name change) to the Colorado Board by filling out a Public Comment and Request for Notices form from the state.

The federal process considers input from individuals, tribal, state, and local governments and takes a minimum of six months. Each proposal is thoroughly reviewed and researched and receives input. Before making a proposed name change to the federal board, it is advised to first read the Principals, Policies and Procedures for Domestic Name Changes to ensure the proposal complies with board practice and has the best chance for approval.

In September, the Department of the Interior announced the federal board voted to replace the names of 650 geographic features to remove words that historically had been used as an offensive ethnic, racial, and sexist slur, particularly for indigenous women. In this case, the issue went before the Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force that was created by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in 2021 was a month-long process.

Changing derogatory names is not new. In 1962, Interior Secretary Stewart Udall directed the board to eliminate racial slurs in place names. In 1974, the board identified a term for "Japanese," as derogatory and eliminated its use.

The next meeting of the Colorado board is at 5 p.m. on Jan. 24, 2024. The proposal is, "Kit Carson to Frustum Peak in Saguache County (USBGN Case 5480). The meeting is available on Zoom with meeting ID 885 7290 3329 with passcode 266179.

The website for the U.S. Board on Geographic Names is www.usgs.gov/us-board-on-geographic-names.

The website for the Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board is https://dnr.colorado.gov/colorado-geographic-naming-advisory-board.