State officials have voted unanimously to change the names of “Nazi Creek” and “Nip Hill” on Little Kiska Island in the Aleutians, due to their offensive and arbitrary nature. Michael Livingston, a member of the Qawalangin Tribe, submitted proposals to change the names, citing the derogatory historical connotations associated with “Nazi” and “Nip.” These names were given during World War II by the U.S. Army as part of a tactical naming convention.
Livingston proposed renaming the features with names from the Indigenous Unangam Tunuu language. “Nazi Creek” would be called “Kaxchim Chiĝanaa” or “Gizzard Creek,” and “Nip Hill” would become “Kaxchim Qayaa” or “Gizzard Hill.” The Alaska Historical Commission unanimously supported the name change, which will now go to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names for final approval.
This decision aligns with a broader national trend of reconsidering offensive place names, monuments, and institutions. The federal government has been actively renaming sites, including more than two dozen in Alaska, whose titles contain derogatory references. The effort to rename these features on Little Kiska Island reflects a larger societal reckoning with the darker aspects of American history and the desire to promote inclusivity and respect for Indigenous cultures.
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