Native Americans have secured two enormous wins for their people.
Firstly, the United States will dump the word 'Squaw' from more than 650 place names on federal land, including national parks and recreation centres.
The term has historically been used as an offensive ethnic, racial and sexist slur towards Native Americans by colonisers from Europe since the 1600s.
Secondly, hundreds of Native American tribes, who have suffered disproportionately high addiction and death rates during the opioid epidemic, have agreed to a tentative settlement of US$590 million with pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson and the country's three largest drug distributors.
The Muscogee Nation’s lawyer, Jonodev Chaudhuri, says the fight against names using derogatory terms has been going on since day one.
“In modern times, there has been a growing movement to rename place names, rename monuments of popular culture, to properly address this historic problem.
“Many of your listeners may be familiar with the renaming of the Washington football team, which used to be known by a derogatory racist name, as the Redskins. But thanks to the advocacy of many folks, that name was recently changed. This is an extension of those battles.”
The team’s name has now changed to the Commanders.
Secretary Deb Haaland, the first-ever Native American secretary of the interior appointed, created the Derogatory Geographic Names Taskforce earlier this year and issued the order to remove the term ‘Squaw’, which Chaudhuri says is a “historic move ”.
“It’s an important catchphrase but it’s true: Representation matters. The fact that we, without a doubt, have had very well-meaning public servants fill all levels of the United States government has been helpful. But unless you have Indigenous people in key slots, there’s going to be a perspective that is missing from those conversations. Haaland's changing of the names is the case in point.”
Opioid epidemic settlement
Chaudhuri says the settlement reached with Johnson & Johnson and other drug distributors is not just a victory for Native American individuals but for tribal sovereignty as a nation.
“The closest analogue, or closest example, of a similar settlement is the tobacco settlements in the 1990s.
“Fast-forward 25 years, tribal nations themselves have been lead plaintiffs in these cases and are the direct beneficiaries of these settlements. This is especially true for my nation [Muscogee].
“Back in the 1990s, my nation was the first to attempt to sue the tobacco companies in tribal court and that case ultimately settled. But it was testing the waters to see the extent to which tribal nations could seek justice for damages directly to our nation.”
The $590 million settlement will be given to those tribes involved in the settlement, which Chaudhuri says represents 80% of Native Americans but the splits will “differ from tribe to tribe”.
“To a nation, there’s been unity that these funds will be used for healthcare support in addressing the damages caused by the opioid crisis.
“It’s a large number [the settlement], incidentally. But it’s never enough when you actually think of the damage to culture, community and family that these drugs caused.”