Earlier this summer, we reported the controversies surrounding the names of two Montana campgrounds.

And while those decisions were tabled for the time being, a petition to change a Montana lake's name appears to have much more traction. That's the gist of a story we were alerted to in the Flathead Beacon by Andy Viano.

Perhaps at least some of you are familiar with Lost Coon Lake in northwest Montana. It is a 61-acre lake, adjacent to Whitefish Lake Golf Club, but has no public access. And no, its name origins do not appear to have anything to do with a slang or nickname for raccoons.

A petition has been submitted in Whitefish on behalf of lakeshore property owners to officially change the name to Lost Loon Lake. It is the latest development in a years-long effort to change the lake's name, citing coon’s use as an offensive slur for African-Americans. And believe it or not, that name is said to have been a compromise as recently as the 1980s to rename it from what was then known as (N-Word) Lake.

If you have been in that area, you may be thinking that the name had already been changed. Whitefish Lake Golf Club has already been referring to it as Lost Loon Lake on its course map and other signage. The golf course also installed a nesting platform for loons to create a welcoming habitat. Loons had previously been using the lake as a feeding area.

 

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