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West Sacramento News-Ledger

City Changes Street, Court Title

Jul 23, 2024 05:13PM ● By Angela Underwood

Mayor Pro Tem Dawnte Early called the new street name “Tebti,” a blessing on West Sacramento by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. Photo by Angela Underwood


WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - It's all in the name or not.

In a city staff report presented at the July 17 regular City Council meeting, a resolution to rename a street does not even fully spell out “Squaw,” so as not to be offensive.

“Staff respectfully recommends the City Council approve Resolution 24-75, recommending that SQ Road and SQ Court be renamed to Tebti Road and Tebti Court, respectively,” the report reads.

When discussing the matter on the agenda, Mayor Martha Guererro didn't say the name but noted that the council was “approving a recommendation by the California Advisory Committee on Geographic names to rename SQ Road and SQ Court.”

City Manager Jon Robinson explained that the city report was to facilitate a public hearing on the renaming. Robinson also would not say the name, referring to the road and court as SQ.

Based on California law, Robison explained the mandate to change the name of any road statewide under that title and the June 26 council meeting when alternative street names were discussed.

“Staff then held an online residential meeting to receive additional feedback and answer questions,” Robinson said of the meeting advertised to 42 households. “Two people attended the meeting.”

According to the staff report, most residents “were strongly supportive of renaming these streets” and proposed “Sonoma” as the most popular new name. Votes for “Mono Lake,” “Echo Lake” and “Toluca” were also considered.

Robinson said one resident was concerned about the linguistics of changing her address and another complained about the ease of pronunciation.

“Also, as part of the process, staff reached out to local native tribes to solicit their input on potential renaming options for the streets,” Robinson said, adding only the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation had responded, suggesting the name “Tebti.”

“It means ‘streams flow together,’ which is an apt description of West Sacramento’s location at the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers,” Robinson said.

Robinson said the new moniker takes “a street name that was a racial and sexist slur and turns it into an homage to people who have inhabited the land here for centuries.”

“Notably, this name is short and relatively easy to pronounce, which incorporates two of the main concerns we have heard from residents all along through the meetings we have had,” Robinson said.

Additionally, the city manager said, “The five-letter, two-syllable word is shorter than the average existing street name in West Sacramento,” and the fire department confirmed that it would not delay emergency response time.

No public comment was taken; Vice-Mayor Dawnte Early spoke, noting she reached out to someone from the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation.

“They helped me understand that this name is a blessing,” Early said. “It is a blessing for our city and it is a blessing from the sovereign nation to the city of West Sacramento.”

Although she “can’t say it better” than Early, Councilmember Quirino Orozco said, “We are very fortunate, Jon, to have your efforts in this very important and sensitive manner for our city.”

Before changing the street name, the mayor recalled when she was unaware of the name.

“We were shocked and thought this has to go,” Mayor Guererro said, adding she was grateful that the process included residents and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. “It’s important that we stay connected as one.”