Words Are Monuments
The process of naming within official maps can carry histories of conquest, violence, and erasure. Words Are Monuments treats those names as monuments in their own right, open to the same questioning as statues.
About the resource
Produced by The Natural History Museum, the project began alongside a 2022 study of place-names in U.S. National Parks, which found that derogatory names were only a small part of a wider pattern. Its website pairs examples of contested names with their histories, such as the 2022 renaming of a Yellowstone peak to First Peoples Mountain, alongside essays, events, and calls to action.
Its newest chapter, The Other 250, launched in June 2026 ahead of the United States’ 250th anniversary. It is a counter-atlas: an interactive map of places and stories covering Indigenous sovereignty, Black geographies, borderlands, labor, environmental justice, and queer and trans life, with plans to grow to 250 sites through partnerships and public submissions. Partners include the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers and the Coalition for Outdoor Renaming and Education.
From: The Natural History Museum
For: Educators, students, community organizers, and the public
Format: Interactive map, essays, events, and resources
Get involved: Story suggestions accepted through an online form
Where to start
- Explore The Other 250 map.
- Read the short essay “What’s in a Name?”
- Suggest a place for the counter-atlas.
How naming has been used to seize land and erase worlds.
Words Are Monuments is a counter-imaginary in practice: it asks whose histories official maps preserve, and invites communities to name places differently.