City Council renames west Wichita street that included slur for a Native woman

A west Wichita street that previously included a derogatory term for Native American women will be renamed, the City Council decided unanimously Tuesday.

Only two lots were addressed to West Squaw Lane, which extends for a block east of North Maize road near Central. The stretch will now be named West Delano Avenue.

“Squaw” is considered to be a racist and misogynistic slur by many indigenous people across North America. The U.S. Department of the Interior in January renamed five sites that included the word in California, North Dakota, Tennessee and Texas.

“This isn’t something we go into lightly. Name changes don’t happen very often,” said District 5 council member Bryan Frye, who was approached by a citizen about renaming the street last November.

“Every step of the way, the consensus was the same — that it was time to change the name because the word itself narrows the connotation to all women of Native American heritage,” he said.

It costs $300 to request a street name change in Wichita. City spokesperson Megan Lovely said Wichita’s public works and utilities department paid the fee. The request was reviewed by both the Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights Board and the District 5 Advisory Board before Tuesday’s vote.

“Obviously, I know this is going to be an inconvenience for the residents on that particular street,” Frye said. “But I’ve also got assurances from the staff that they will take care of notifying the utilities, as well as the post office.”

Frye said he also reached out to the Mid-America All-Indian Museum and the USD 259’s Native American Education Program for input. Museum Director April Scott did not immediately return a phone call Tuesday afternoon.

Mayor Brandon Whipple thanked Frye for making the renaming project a priority.

“I appreciate the council member’s efforts to ensure that we create a Wichita for all, including those who perhaps weren’t thought of when this road was named,” Whipple said.

Both Whipple and Frye are running for mayor this year.

This story was originally published May 2, 2023 at 1:54 PM.