Washington committee tables Hood Canal rename after tribal pushback

The Washington State Committee on Geographic Names paused a proposal to rename Hood Canal on Thursday, citing a lack of proper tribal consultation. The decision postpones the initial consideration of the name change until the committee's next meeting in May.

The proposal, submitted by Barbara Stark, a retired elementary school teacher from Poulsbo, seeks to change the name of the 60-mile waterway to Salish Fjord. Stark argued that the current name is historically inaccurate and fails to honor the region's Indigenous history.

"If we would look at [Mount] Rainier, no one would consider calling it a hill. If we looked at the mighty Columbia, no one would call it a stream," Stark said. "I think it's time that we recognize this marvelous waterway."

Hood Canal is currently named after Admiral and Lord Samuel Hood, a British aristocrat who fought against the United States in the Revolutionary War. British Royal Navy Captain George Vancouver labeled the area "Hood's Channel" in 1792. The waterway is a natural fjord carved by ice sheets 13,000 years ago, reaching depths of 600 feet in some areas.

Tom Strong, the Chairman and CEO of the Skokomish Tribe, opposed the proposal during the Thursday meeting. He stated that the Skokomish people settled the Hood Canal drainage in ancestral times and had the right to weigh in on the change.

Strong noted that local inhabitants called the area "tuwaduq sidaqʷ," which translates to "the Twana people's saltwater." He emphasized that every drop of fresh water draining into the canal flows through Tuwaduq or Skokomish territory. Rivers in the area, such as the Duckabush and Dosewallips, retain Twana names or anglicized versions of them.

Strong said he was unaware the proposal was under review until a reporter informed him five minutes before the committee meeting began. He implored the board to table the request until the Skokomish Tribe, the primary tribe of the area, was properly consulted.

Stark responded that she had reached out to several tribes via email three years ago but did not receive a reply. She said she lacked direct connections with tribal communities to gather suggestions for the new name.

Committee member Mike Iyall, a Cowlitz elder and the group's tribal representative, supported the pause. "There's no rush on getting these names right, or on hurrying a name," Iyall said.

Allyson Brooks, the Washington State Historic Preservation Officer and a committee member, described the rename as a major issue rather than a minor adjustment. She argued that government bodies should take time to handle such changes carefully.

The term "Salish" refers to an umbrella group of dozens of Indigenous nations in British Columbia and the U.S. Northwest. The Salish School of Spokane identifies 22 Coast Salish languages, including Twana, and seven Interior Salish languages. The state board previously approved the name "Salish Sea" for inland waters in 2009.

The committee also approved a separate proposal on Thursday from the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe. This change renames Rat Island, located in the Marrowstone Wildlife Area near Port Townsend, to Duck Net Island to recognize the tribe's tradition of hunting ducks with tall nets.