Name Change for Alaskan Creek After 70 Years of Debate

A stream in Alaska, long known as “Nazi Creek,” has officially been renamed after more than seven decades of discussion. The name was established during World War II when U.S. military forces reclaimed the area from enemy forces.

Little Kiska, situated at the far western edge of Kiska Island in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, was occupied by Japanese troops in June 1942. This occupation lasted about a year, and interestingly, it wasn’t the Japanese who named the creek.

Rather, the title “Nazi Creek” was assigned by American soldiers using an alphanumeric system designed for mapping purposes. The U.S. Army Air Force applied this label to various geographical features in the region for tactical reasons.

This name persisted at the federal level even after the war, appearing on maps up until Alaska gained statehood in 1959. The military organized its maps using a grid system, with the stream falling under the “N” designation, hence the name.

Other nearby locations, like Lake Moron and Magic Mountain, also received names from this military system, reflecting the soldiers’ experiences and perhaps a sense of humor.

Historian Michael Livingston dedicated two years to changing the creek’s name. Livingston, originally from the area and linked to the Indigenous Aleutian Unangax community, felt it was important to remove the offensive label. The new name, “Kaxchim Chiĝanaa,” translates to “a stream or river belonging to Gizzard Island,” inspired by the island’s Unangax name “Kangchix̂.”

Additionally, nearby “Nip Hill,” which was derogatorily named, was also renamed to “Kaxchim Qayaa,” meaning “Gizzard Hill.” Livingston emphasized its inappropriateness then and now, noting a continuous need for sensitivity and respect in naming.

In the spring, the Alaska Historical Commission unanimously supported the name change, which has now been approved by the U.S. Committee on Geographic Names. This approval clears the path for the federal government to remove these outdated names from official records.

Notably, around 880 Unangax residents were forcibly relocated and placed in internment camps during the war, with numerous individuals suffering from illness in those dire circumstances. Their experiences, along with those of Japanese Americans who faced similar fates, were recognized long after the war, with Congress voting in 1988 to compensate both groups.