EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon Geographic Names Board is weighing two suggested names to replace Swastika Mountain in the state’s Umpqua National Forest.
While the term swastika commonly refers to a symbol used by German’s Nazi Party or a Southeast Asian symbol of good luck or spirituality, the mountain was initially named for the nearby — now extinct — town of Swastika, CNN reported. That town was reportedly so named for the owner of a cattle ranch who branded his animals with the symbol, according to CNN.
“I suspect that if someone had proposed a new name, it would have changed long ago,” Kerry Tymchuck, the Boyle family executive director of the Oregon Historical Society told CNN. Tymchuck noted that the mountain is in a remote area of the park and not very accessible.
Two recent proposals were submitted to the Oregon Geographic Names Board, which now will decide between the two, KGW reported. Board president Bruce Fisher said the initial proposal was submitted to change the mountain’s name to Umpqua Mountain, but the board wanted an option with more historical connection to the land.
Umpqua Mountain proposal by National Content Desk on Scribd
The second proposal would honor Chief Halito, also known as Chief Halo, of the Yoncalla Kalapuya Tribe, who had lived in a village near the mountain before dying in 1892, CNN reported.
Mount Halo proposal by National Content Desk on Scribd
“We don’t have any records of Halo actually using Swastika Mountain,” David Lewis, a professor of anthropology at Oregon State who wrote the second proposal, told KGW. “But where he lived, he would’ve been able to see the mountain … so he would’ve known about it.”
Joy McClain, who submitted the initial proposal to change the mountains name to Umpqua told CNN that she has decided to relinquish her proposal in favor of supporting the change of name to Halo Mountain.
Fisher told KGW the proposed name is being circulated to Indian nations and county governments for feedback before the board votes on a decision in December. The board will then forward its decision to the U.S. Geographic Names Board, which has final authority.
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