HF 2425

as introduced - 82nd Legislature (2001 - 2002) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to Indians; removing the word "squaw" from 
  1.3             Minnesota geographic features; amending Minnesota 
  1.4             Statutes 2000, sections 83A.02; 83A.05, subdivision 1. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 83A.02, is 
  1.7   amended to read: 
  1.8      83A.02 [POWERS AND DUTIES.] 
  1.9      The commissioner of natural resources shall: 
  1.10     (1)  determine the correct and most appropriate names of 
  1.11  the lakes, streams, places and other geographic features in the 
  1.12  state, and the spelling thereof; 
  1.13     (2)  pass upon and give names to lakes, streams, places, 
  1.14  and other geographic features in the state for which no single, 
  1.15  generally accepted name has been in use; 
  1.16     (3) in cooperation with the county boards and with their 
  1.17  approval, change the names of lakes, streams, places, and other 
  1.18  geographic features, with the end in view of eliminating, as far 
  1.19  as possible, duplication of names within the state; 
  1.20     (4) remove the word "squaw" from all geographic features; 
  1.21     (5) prepare and publish an official state dictionary of 
  1.22  geographic names and publish the same, either as a completed 
  1.23  whole or in parts, when ready; and 
  1.24     (5) (6) serve as the state representative of the United 
  1.25  States geographic board and cooperate with that board to the end 
  2.1   that there shall be no conflict between the state and federal 
  2.2   designations of geographic features in the state.  
  2.3      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 83A.05, 
  2.4   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.5      Subdivision 1.  [APPLICABILITY.] A name of a lake, river, 
  2.6   stream, or other body of water may be given or changed under 
  2.7   sections 83A.05 to 83A.07, except that a name which has existed 
  2.8   for 40 years may not be changed under the provisions of sections 
  2.9   83A.05 to 83A.07 unless it contains the word "squaw".