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Board pauses on state-recommended replacement for 'SQ Carpet Lane,' asks tribal consortium outreach
Summary
Plumas County supervisors paused on adopting a new name for a road historically containing the offensive term “squaw” after state staff and several tribal representatives proposed different replacement names.
The Plumas County Board of Supervisors discussed a state‑led process to replace the road name historically containing the derogatory term sometimes shortened as “SQ” and considered competing tribal recommendations for a replacement name.
Planning Director Tracy Ferguson briefed the board on Assembly Bill 2022’s statewide process to remove offensive place names and on local public input the county provided in October 2024. The county had transmitted a direct Mountain Maidu translation (presented locally by Harley Lee and Danny Manning) as its preferred replacement: “Demtatoko” (rendered in the Mountain Maidu language and discussed in the packet as “Demtatoko bo” when including the word for lane/road). The state review panel, however, informed staff that Mooretown Rancheria — which submitted a tribal‑council resolution during the state review — recommended a different Maidu name, “Yato Matau,” described by the tribal representative as a traditional place name for Genesee Valley.
Tracy Ferguson told the board she was not present at the state panel meeting and that Mooretown Rancheria representatives did attend the December hearing and offered “Yato Matau.” The planning director also relayed input from Harvey Marino, the Maidu Summit consortium cultural resources coordinator, who advised the board that the Mooretown name refers to Genesee Valley and may not fit the road’s actual location; Marino and local tribal members recommended using the Mountain Maidu translation that preserves the original plant name or the fully Maidu phrasing (“Dentatakoko bo”/“Demtatoko bo”).
During discussion supervisors noted the county must balance respect for tribal governments with local tribal language and place‑based appropriateness. Several supervisors said they preferred a replacement that incorporates local Mountain Maidu language and recommended formal outreach to the Maidu Summit consortium and to Greenville Rancheria for additional input. The board asked planning staff to consult the Maidu Summit consortium, invite any tribal councils that wish to participate, and bring a recommended replacement name back to the board at a future meeting.
No formal renaming resolution was adopted at this meeting; the board directed staff to undertake additional tribal consultations before returning with a formal recommendation for a replacement road name.
