The tallest peak in South Dakota has a brand new name

Bison in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The U.S. Board of Geographic Names decided on Thursday to rename South Dakota's highest peak, Harney Peak in the Black Hills National Forest. Its new name: Black Elk Peak.

The new name will be used by the federal government on maps and other products. The board's executive secretary told AP they felt the "name was derogatory or offensive, being that it was on a holy site of the Native Americans." The governor of South Dakota, Dennis Daugaard (R), feels differently, calling the name change an "unnecessary expense and confusion. I suspect very few people know the history of either Harney or Black Elk." Sen. John Thune (R) says the decision "defies logic."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.