Renaming Squaw Creek gives us a golden opportunity to honor Martin Luther King Jr., who, in his crusade for equality, was a strong advocate for American Indians. 

Here is an excerpt from a column that appeared in ‘Partnership with Native Americans’ in Jan. 2019.

“Dr. King…championed equality for all people of color. Dr. King’s actions aided Native Americans more than most of us know. He specifically advocated for the desegregation of Native Americans and inspired much of the modern-day advocacy for Native rights, including water rights and tribal sovereignty. Many advocacy groups for tribes, such as the Native American Rights Fund, arose shortly after the era of Dr. King in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement.”

Honoring him by naming it MLK Creek would also provide some tangible recognition by the university, the city of Ames and Story County as well of Dr. King’s life-long efforts against discrimination of all kinds.