Residents in Ohio are bitterly divided over a proposed name change for a national forest that dons the moniker of an American revolutionary leader, who many also accused of being problematic due to his participation in the genocide of Indigenous Americans.
The forest, which is Ohio’s only national forest and located in the southeastern quadrant of the state, was originally named after Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne. On Aug. 21, the USDA Forest Service announced a possible name change to the Wayne National Forest.
The Forest Service proposed the change because of the veteran’s participation in the violent removal of Indigenous Americans from the area.
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“[Taking away Anthony Wayne’s name is] not erasing history at all,” John Washco of the American Indian Movement (AIM) of Ohio told The Daily Beast. “[Keeping his name] would show either a lack of compassion or ignorance… of not knowing the true history. People that feel that way only want to accept a small portion of the history.”
Though the American Indian Removal Act forcibly pushed Indigenous people away from their homelands in 1830 to what later became Oklahoma, Washco said Wayne’s 1794 efforts in Ohio were something like a “predecessor to what was to come.”
The Forest Service said the lead alternative to the name of the forest is the “Buckeye National Forest,” which would echo Ohio’s nickname as the Buckeye State.
“Our intention is to listen to Tribal Nations and community members, and take the actions needed to better serve them,” Forest Supervisor Lee Stewart said in the press release.
The Forest Service also said “Ohio National Forest” and “Koteewa National Forest” are contenders after consulting with local Indigenous tribes.
“The effort to change the forest name to Buckeye National Forest is based in respect and inclusion for all of Ohio’s communities and seeks to ensure the name of these federal lands is representative of all who value the national forest,” read the press release. “It also follows multiple policy directives and is consistent with Agency efforts to advance equity and inclusion.”
Washco, who is associated with the Ojibway Tribe in Ontario and serves as the men’s spiritual leader of AIM Ohio, is excited for the name change and thinks the Forest Service should go with the top choice suggested by Indigenous Tribes native to southeastern Ohio.
“Any time you talk about untold history of this country, it’s like, ‘Oh, woke this, woke that,’” he said. “Well, it’s going to happen whether they like it or not.”
Along with Lake Erie Native American Council and the Committee of 500 Years, Washco said AIM Ohio successfully held virtual meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic with team owners and upper management to change Cleveland’s baseball mascot from the “Indians” and logo of “Chief Wahoo.” (Eventually, Cleveland’s baseball team landed on the “Guardians” as its new name.)
“We’re all very proud of the fact that we did educate them… [Baseball owners] were so receptive, and you could see that they were sincere because they were just unaware of all these things… All this untold history that so many people are unaware of,” Washco said. “[The talk] was pretty monumental.”
According to The Marietta Times, Wayne—or “Mad Anthony”—lived in Pennsylvania and was summoned by President George Washington to do away with a confederation of Indigenous Americans in what later became Ohio.
Wayne was also a “proud slaveholder,” Cleveland.com reported.
On Aug. 24, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) submitted a letter completely disagreeing with the Forest Service’s proposed name change.
“This federal effort denigrates Ohio history and represents a lack of fidelity to our nation’s founding generation,” he wrote in the letter, provided on his official senatorial website.
Then, Vance went into quite a detailed history of Wayne, claiming the war vet “answered the call of his infant country” in 1775 and “raised a militia unit to secure American independence.” Wayne went into what would later become Ohio and led a crew of soldiers to defeat the British and their Indigenous allies in the area.
“This… ended the Northwest Indian War and established an official border between the U.S. and the Confederacy, opening much of Ohio to American settlement and recognizing Indiana as Indian territory,” Vance wrote.
Vance said he was “disappointed” with the Forest Service’s “misguided decision.”
“This… is part of a wider federal trend that is replacing real people with abstract things and real histories with anecdotes,” Vance huffed.
Vance was alarmed with the agency’s dismissal of the compromise Revolutionary-era colonizers made with Indigenous Americans to keep them away from the colonizers’ newly settled land.
“[Wayne] fought wars, won peace for our government… and hewed Ohio out of rugged wilderness and occupied enemy territory.”
Interestingly, Vance never said anything about the aftermath of Indigenous Americans being shooed away from their homeland and being forced to live elsewhere—if they survived.
Ohio Speaker of the House Jason Stevens, a Republican, blasted the name change as a problem raised by the “woke Biden administration.”
“This is just another example of federal government overreach trying to fix a problem that doesn’t exist,” he said in a statement, according to The Ironton Tribune. “As Ohio’s only national forest, Wayne National Forest has been a destination for all Ohioans and its visitors to enjoy nature and all that Southeast Ohio has to offer for nearly a century.”
With the Forest Service’s announcement, a comment period opened up to the public to share their thoughts on the name change, and thousands of Ohioans submitted remarks. Some people were furious that state leaders were allegedly caving to so-called “woke” culture.
The Daily Beast obtained over 1,200 public comments that were submitted to the USDA regarding Wayne National Forest.
“I am against any renaming any place named for the sake of political or feel good groups,” read an email submitted by an anonymous commenter dissenting a name change. “Your [sic] messing with our history[.] What’s done is done and was right at the time.”
One noted that Republican Ohio Rep. Jay Edwards called the Forest Service and expressed his concerns with Lee, about the expense of the name change and allegedly stated the “federal government is out of touch with people’s needs.”
Other commenters were more supportive of the proposed name change and suggested honoring the Indigenous Americans who are native to the area.
“I love the name buckeye national forest,” A.B. Becker wrote. “The buckeye tree actually represents our state, not a slaveholding genocidal Pennsylvanian. Wayne must go.”
The mayor of Shawnee, Ohio, Beverly Trovato, said the forest must be renamed and suggested the “Black Diamond National Forest” as a new moniker to honor Appalachian coal miners.
Even descendants of Wayne voiced support to change the name, saying they were ashamed to see his name put up in lights.
“It is embarrassing and appalling to honor someone who so violently removed the Indigenous peoples of Ohio. Thank you for your consideration,” wrote a self-described Wayne descendant, Chandra Bramlett.
“Thank you for taking this brave step in moving the Forest and the State of Ohio forward,” wrote Bill Dingus on behalf of the Greater Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. “I hope that this name change will carry appropriate funding to immediately change all signage and do a national marketing campaign.”
Former mayor and council member of Shelby, Ohio, Garland John Gates said, “It makes good sense to give the forest a name which resonates with Americans.”
After the public comments closed more Ohio Republicans weighed in on the issue.
“General Anthony Wayne is historically significant in the settlement of our State and nation, and this federal proposal is a clear attempt to erase that history,” U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson posted on X.
Vance wrote another letter on Sept. 7, this time partnering with Davidson, to voice their opposition to the name-change proposal, while—again—going through a detailed history of Wayne’s military resume.
“There are instances in our history where great men accomplished extraordinary things, and they deserve to be honored and remembered for it,” the letter read. “General Wayne is one of those men.”
On Sept. 8, U.S. Reps. Troy Balderson, Brad Wenstrup, and Bill Johnson sent a joint letter to the Forest Service and Department of Agriculture, demanding more transparency in the name-changing process, requesting an extension for public comments, and questioning if the move was worth its “$400,000 price tag.”
Washco said resistance to a name change is “disheartening” when public officials attribute it to culture wars.
“The things that occurred, yeah, they were bad. They were part of history. If at the time people thought that you were entitled to be honored for certain acts that you committed while other heinous acts that you committed were left off of that, say that proclamation,” he said. “Now we know and now it's time to do the right thing.”
The Associated Press reported that nearly 40 Indigenous Americans have ties to Wayne National Forest, which occupies over 380 square miles. The vast woodsy area was purchased by the federal government in 1934 and named after Wayne in 1951.
The state has yet to announce when the decision on a name change will be made.
