Palisades Tahoe Announces New Name, Change Commended by the Washoe Tribe
Photo credit: Palisades Tahoe
One of California’s most beloved ski resorts has officially changed its name to Palisades Tahoe. The name change presumably stems from rising backlash about the derogatory root of their former name.
The Washoe Tribe, whose ancestral lands the resorts sits upon, commended the name change in an official statement: “The Washoe People have lived in the area for thousands of years; we have great reverence for our ancestors, history and lands. We are very pleased with this decision; today is a day that many have worked towards for decades. The Washoe Tribal Council recognizes the significance of the name change and on behalf of the Washoe people expresses its great appreciation for this positive step forward,” stated Tribal Chairman Serrell Smokey.
The name change appears to have been a truly collaborative process. In their official press release, Palisades Tahoe details the great care with which they chose their new identity. The team spent more than a year researching names that could capture the resort’s holistic essence. Not only did they consult with the Washoe tribe, but also longtime pass holders, athletes who grew up on the mountain, employees and other members of the community.
“It is not enough to justify continuing to operate under a name that is deeply offensive to indigenous people across North America. We were compelled to change the name because it’s the right thing to do, especially for the generations yet to come, who will grow up without having to use a slur to identify the place where they chase their dreams down the mountain,” said Ron Cohen, former president and COO of Palisades Tahoe in a press release.
By many accounts, Indigenous communities have been working to remove this hurtful word from public spaces for decades.
"LOTS of people here have interesting thoughts on their understanding of the word S***w. Hopefully this wakes them up,” said @greekcherokee, who attended a presentation on the name change in August 2021, in an Instagram post. “I'm almost crying at some of the painful stories. It's hard being #mixedindigenous reckoning with settler, recent immigrant, and Native ancestry."
It is refreshing to hear that the renaming process is giving the local Indigenous community a stronger voice. According to the release, Palisades Tahoe “has begun building a partnership with the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California to continue to give the tribe a platform to educate the public about their culture and the valleys’ origins as the ancestral land of the Washoe Tribe, and to ensure mountain accessibility for present and future Washoe generations.”
While the new name is a welcome change, it can also be noted that Palisades Tahoe’s parent company, Alterra Mountain Company, could have some deeper work to do in terms of their relationship to the land. Non-profit organization Sierra Watch has been fighting overdevelopment to preserve the valley for almost a decade, pointing out that decisions made in the resort valley “affect the entire ecosystem and community of North Lake Tahoe and Truckee….Alterra’s proposed development is about much more than a parking lot; it’s about catastrophic wildfire, water scarcity, Tahoe traffic, and greenhouse gas emissions; it’s about the impacts on everything from the availability of affordable housing to the brightness of the stars in our night sky.”
But, for today we will celebrate the name change.
