Eugene, Oregon’s Swastika Mountain standing at a height of 4,000 feet is soon to get an all-new name after a problematic one that has been around for years.
Thanks to the effort of a local resident, named Joyce McClain who discovered the mountain’s existence last year- a petition was filed by the volunteer-run Oregon Geographic Names Board to change it. At a meeting this month, the board said it would support a name change to Mount Halo, named after Chief Halito, who led the area’s Indigenous Yoncalla Kalapuya tribe in the 1800s.
Source: NPR (U.S. Geological Survey)
The history of Swastika Mountain predates Nazi Germany. It was named after the town of Swastika, which in turn acquired its name because a local rancher used to brand his cattle with the symbol. Before the Nazis turned the swastika into a globally recognized symbol of hate, it signified good fortune and well-being in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
The name change is pending tribal approval but could be implemented as soon as next year.
JOIN US ON WHAT'SAPP, TO GET INSTANT STATUS UPDATES AND BE IN THE KNOW.
CLICK HERE
