HF 714

as introduced - 79th Legislature (1995 - 1996) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to Indians; requiring the Indian affairs 
  1.3             council to report on potentially offensive place 
  1.4             names; requiring the commissioner of natural resources 
  1.5             to change certain names of geographic features of the 
  1.6             state. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [REPORT BY INDIAN AFFAIRS COUNCIL ON 
  1.9   POTENTIALLY OFFENSIVE PLACE NAMES.] 
  1.10     The Indian affairs council shall conduct a comprehensive 
  1.11  survey of names given to geographic features and political 
  1.12  subdivisions of the state and identify those names that might be 
  1.13  offensive to American Indians.  By February 1, 1996, the council 
  1.14  shall report on the results of the survey to the legislative 
  1.15  committees with jurisdiction over natural resources and Indian 
  1.16  affairs.  The report shall include any recommendations of the 
  1.17  council for changes in the laws relating to the naming of 
  1.18  geographic features and political subdivisions of the state. 
  1.19     Sec. 2.  [COMMISSIONER OF NATURAL RESOURCES TO CHANGE 
  1.20  CERTAIN NAMES.] 
  1.21     Within 18 months after the effective date of this act, the 
  1.22  commissioner of natural resources shall change each name of a 
  1.23  geographic feature in the state that contains the word "squaw" 
  1.24  to another name that does not contain this word.  The 
  1.25  commissioner shall select the new names in cooperation with the 
  1.26  county boards and with their approval. 
  2.1      Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.2      Sections 1 and 2 are effective the day following final 
  2.3   enactment.