The canyon with Medieval Chamber and Morning Glory Arch
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_22064844/push-utah-rename-negro-bill-canyon
Push on in Utah to rename Negro Bill Canyon
By Brady McCombs The Associated Press
MOAB — Moab resident Louis Williams cringes every time he tells visitors the name of the canyon with the great hike to a stunning arch: Negro Bill Canyon.
Williams, a window cleaner who has lived in Moab for 14 years, is leading a renewed campaign to change the name of the southern Utah canyon that he and others believe is inappropriate. He has posted an online petition that has garnered more than 600 signatures and plans to submit a formal renaming application to the U.S. Board of Geographic Names.
“People cringe when we have to tell the name of it. The looks on their face is: ‘What did you just say?’ ” Williams said. “People ask, ‘Why is it named that?’ They don’t ask who he is.”
He wants it to bear the last name of the black cowboy who ran cattle there in the 1870s, William Granstaff. The canyon got its current name in the 1960s, when it was changed from a name that featured a derogatory word.
Williams said history shows that Granstaff’s name was actually spelled with a “d” after the “n.” That’s why he wants it renamed “Grandstaff Canyon.”
“Most of the places and streets and trails that were named after settlers just used their last names,” Williams said. “That is what we should do for him.”
Even though efforts in the late 1990s and 2000s to change the canyon name were met with resistance from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Williams is optimistic the idea will gain more traction this time. His campaign is one of dozens across the country to rename canyons, reservoirs, lakes and other places still bearing names deemed derogatory.
There are 757 places with “negro” in their name, from Alaska to Florida and Maine to California, according to an analysis of government records.
But the president of the NAACP’s Salt Lake City chapter, Jeanetta Williams, said her organization opposes the name change just as it did when others tried to make the switch.
“If the name changes, it’s going to lose its history,” she said. ” ‘Negro’ is an acceptable word.”
With one of the longest natural arches in the country at the end of the 4-mile round-trip hike, the canyon is a popular destination for hikers visiting Moab. The petition had more than 600 signatures as of Friday — many from out of state. The site has been up since Nov. 11.
“My favorite hike in the Moab area, but I always feel sick to my stomach to repeat the name to anyone and explain the puzzled looks,” wrote Linn DeNesti of Kingston, Wash., in the online petition. “PLEASE honor William Grandstaff and rename this beautiful canyon!”
“Let’s do justice to Moab’s rich history by renaming the canyon in a way that does justice to Bill without alienating or offending residents and visitors alike!” wrote Faye Geiger of Logan, Utah.
Bruce Hucko of Moab put it simply in his comment on the online petition: “It’s about time!”
The NAACP and Louis Williams do agree on one thing: There should be a sign or marker near the trail head featuring Granstaff’s story.
“We would rather leave it there as it is now and to get information in the curriculum in the schools about the canyon itself to let people know more about the history,” said Jeanetta Williams.
Read more: Push on in Utah to rename Negro Bill Canyon – The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_22064844/push-utah-rename-negro-bill-canyon#ixzz2DLDuacqo Read The Denver Post’s Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse
rging@q.com
If we were stand up kind of people we wouldn’t be passing a 15+ trillion dollar debt on to the next 10 generations so candyass goes without saying.
But as far as the canyon goes, just don’t close the darn thing, I like that simul rap too much.
—– Original Message —– From: Ice Shane@Climb-Utah.com> To: Yahoo Canyons Group Sent: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:53:25 -0500 (EST) Subject: [from Canyons Group] Re: Push on in Utah to rename Negro Bill Canyon
The name of the canyon was already changed once from Niger Bill Canyon because the original name was considered disrespectful.
Political correctness… The death of America as we know it….. what a bunch of candyass pussies.
Ice
There’s a great deal of American history that will make a large number of people feel “uncomfortable”…. It’s time we band together and re-write all history that makes us feel “uncomfortable”.
The name of the canyon was already changed once from Niger Bill Canyon because the original name was considered disrespectful.
Political correctness… The death of America as we know it….. what a bunch of candyass pussies.
kuenn_k2
Interesting article. Even more so the position of SLC NAACP chapter president’s comments. Maybe her response should also be added to the placard at the mouth of the canyon to calm visitor judgment.
Being from the South I will admit to raising an eyebrow after passing the canyon for the first time on the way to Onion Creek. Certainly we cannot be blind to it, however PCE’s guilt pendulum swings and we find our self on the fringe of losing yet more cultural identity even while yielding well-deserved deference to the historically offended; which ironically in this case appears not to be those taking offense.
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “RAM” wrote:
The canyon with Medieval Chamber and Morning Glory Arch
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_22064844/push-utah-rename-negro-bill-canyon
> Push on in Utah to rename Negro Bill Canyon
By Brady McCombs > The Associated Press
MOAB — Moab resident Louis Williams cringes every time he tells visitors the name of the canyon with the great hike to a stunning arch: Negro Bill Canyon.
Williams, a window cleaner who has lived in Moab for 14 years, is leading a renewed campaign to change the name of the southern Utah canyon that he and others believe is inappropriate. He has posted an online petition that has garnered more than 600 signatures and plans to submit a formal renaming application to the U.S. Board of Geographic Names.
“People cringe when we have to tell the name of it. The looks on their face is: ‘What did you just say?’ ” Williams said. “People ask, ‘Why is it named that?’ They don’t ask who he is.”
He wants it to bear the last name of the black cowboy who ran cattle there in the 1870s, William Granstaff. The canyon got its current name in the 1960s, when it was changed from a name that featured a derogatory word.
Williams said history shows that Granstaff’s name was actually spelled with a “d” after the “n.” That’s why he wants it renamed “Grandstaff Canyon.”
“Most of the places and streets and trails that were named after settlers just used their last names,” Williams said. “That is what we should do for him.”
Even though efforts in the late 1990s and 2000s to change the canyon name were met with resistance from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Williams is optimistic the idea will gain more traction this time. His campaign is one of dozens across the country to rename canyons, reservoirs, lakes and other places still bearing names deemed derogatory.
There are 757 places with “negro” in their name, from Alaska to Florida and Maine to California, according to an analysis of government records.
But the president of the NAACP’s Salt Lake City chapter, Jeanetta Williams, said her organization opposes the name change just as it did when others tried to make the switch.
“If the name changes, it’s going to lose its history,” she said. ” ‘Negro’ is an acceptable word.”
With one of the longest natural arches in the country at the end of the 4-mile round-trip hike, the canyon is a popular destination for hikers visiting Moab. The petition had more than 600 signatures as of Friday — many from out of state. The site has been up since Nov. 11.
“My favorite hike in the Moab area, but I always feel sick to my stomach to repeat the name to anyone and explain the puzzled looks,” wrote Linn DeNesti of Kingston, Wash., in the online petition. “PLEASE honor William Grandstaff and rename this beautiful canyon!”
“Let’s do justice to Moab’s rich history by renaming the canyon in a way that does justice to Bill without alienating or offending residents and visitors alike!” wrote Faye Geiger of Logan, Utah.
Bruce Hucko of Moab put it simply in his comment on the online petition: “It’s about time!”
The NAACP and Louis Williams do agree on one thing: There should be a sign or marker near the trail head featuring Granstaff’s story.
“We would rather leave it there as it is now and to get information in the curriculum in the schools about the canyon itself to let people know more about the history,” said Jeanetta Williams.
> Read more: Push on in Utah to rename Negro Bill Canyon – The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_22064844/push-utah-rename-negro-bill-canyon#ixzz2DLDuacqo
Read The Denver Post’s Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse