There are hundreds of federal land units that use names considered to be derogatory to Native Americans and Indigenous people.

According to the Board on Geographic Names, 67 of them are in Arizona. Not much movement has occurred to permanently change them until Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American to lead the department, made it a higher priority.

U.S. Department of the Interior

Deb Haaland

She recently created the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names to point out which ones have derogatory names and find replacement titles for them.

The Show spoke with reporter Shondiin Silversmith, who wrote about the new committee in the Arizona Mirror. The conversation began by talking about the importance of Secretary Haaland's leadership on the issue.

More Stories From KJZZ

• Her ancestors survived the Tulsa Race Massacre. Now she's telling their stories
• From economics to voting, how big a role does systemic racism play?