New Name for Squaw

Palisades Tahoe introduced its new name and logo on Sept. 13 renaming the iconic 70-year-old Squaw Valley ski area and unifying the resort with Alpine Meadows ski area under one name. e ski resort has announced a Nov. 24 opening date for the 2021-22 season. e base area village on the Olympic Valley side will now be known as e Village at Palisades Tahoe and the resort also plans to debut new names for the Squaw One and Squaw Creek chairlifts, to be selected with input by the Washoe Tribe, Resort at Squaw Creek and the public over a multi-year process. e Washoe Tribe is also leading the e orts to rename Squaw Peak and Squaw Creek, according to the release. e resort also unveiled a new logo.

Inspired by the sheer granite faces and chutes that compose this otherworldly terrain, the Palisades Tahoe name is a result of the collective experience of a ercely loyal community, united around a shared place that has fascinated and exhilarated for generations, according to the release.

“It is inspiring that after seven decades in operation, a company as storied and established as this resort can still re ect and adjust when it is the necessary and right thing to do,” said recently appointed president and COO Dee Byrne in the release. “ is name change re ects who we are as a ski resort and community — we have a reputation for being progressive and boundary-breaking when it comes to feats of skiing and snowboarding. We have proven that those values go beyond the snow for us. It’s an incredibly exciting time to be part of Palisades Tahoe, and after more than 10 years at the resort, I’m honored to be leading our team into this new era.” e 2020 commitment by the resort to rename the destination was made after extensive research into the historical and current usage and regional history of the word “squaw,” and discussions with the local Washoe Tribe, which a rmed the position that it is widely considered a racist and sexist slur against Indigenous women, according to the release.

e renaming process began last year with an in-depth research and discovery process that would be the rst step in informing the new name. At the outset, the resort team dissected what elements of these neighboring valleys, from the mountains to the people, truly set them apart, according to the release. ey looked at the history of the Washoe Tribe, whose ancestral lands were

Hank DeVre | Palisades Tahoe

in Olympic Valley, to extreme ski movies that featured the resort, to the spectrum of feedback on the name change decision. e resort also consulted with local residents, longtime passholders, athletes who grew up on these slopes, employees of the resort and members of the local Washoe tribe. e central themes that emerged from the discovery process included the unique geography and one-of-a-kind terrain of these mountains, the deep Olympic and ski culture histories across both valleys, the resort’s ability to challenge all levels of skiers and riders, and the incredible strength and loyalty of the community. With the name Palisades Tahoe, the resort honors the past — the arena that put Olympic Valley on the map, inspired countless skiers to push the limits, and created a culture unlike any other — and looks toward a new chapter.

“Anyone who spends time at these mountains can feel the passion of our dedicated skiers and riders. It’s electric, exciting, reverential and incredibly motivating,” said Ron Cohen, former president and COO in the release.

e Palisades Tahoe name captures and honors two of the resort’s most legendary arenas, one on the Olympic Valley side and one on the Alpine Meadows side, according to the release. e new logo aligns the two mountains that make up Palisades Tahoe with the outline of a majestic eagle — a nod to the sacred Washoe symbol used to communicate with the heavens, the powerful bird that calls Tahoe home, and to the resort’s freeskiing roots. e bold colors and interwoven design pay homage to these majestic mountains’ past, present and future and the erce allegiance and individuality of the Palisades Tahoe community, according to the release.

Palisades Tahoe has also begun building a partnership with the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California to continue to give the tribe a platform to educate the public about its culture and the valley’s origins as the ancestral land of the Washoe Tribe, and to ensure mountain accessibility for present and future Washoe generations. e resort will install a Washoe exhibit at High Camp, complete with tribal artifacts that show the Washoe way of life that members seek to preserve to this day. e groups are also exploring future programming centered on making skiing more accessible to Washoe Tribe members. | palisadestahoe.com 

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