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Advisory group asks Historic Landmarks Commission to research street names with indigenous connotations
Summary
Members reported a parks advisory discussion about street names such as 'Indian John' and 'Indian Mary' and said parks recommended that the Historic Landmarks Commission review historical research rather than pursue immediate renaming; commissioners asked staff to circulate the memo and consult indigenous contacts and the Troutdale Historical Society.
Commissioners were briefed on a parks advisory discussion about street names with language that some now consider derogatory. Parks members brought forward the matter as a fact-finding request and included a recommendation that the Historic Landmarks Commission examine historical records rather than immediately move to rename streets.
"My intent was to give it to the historic landmarks commission for the sake of, maybe sure," a parks advisory member said during the meeting, adding that the recommended action was research and validation, not an explicit renaming. Commissioners and participants repeatedly emphasized the need to involve indigenous community members and local historians before making policy choices.
The commission discussed past local practices for working with tribal partners, noting prior collaboration with the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde on naming and cultural consultation for public assets. Members cautioned that the presence of a name in historical documents does not automatically settle whether it should be retained or changed today and that broader community input is necessary.
Next steps: staff will locate and circulate the parks memo and supporting research; the Historic Landmarks Commission will add a validation item to a future agenda and consider referring substantive findings to the Citizen Advisory Committee or other appropriate bodies. No formal renaming action or vote was recorded at this meeting.
