Staff Reports
A federal proposal to rename Ohio’s Wayne National Park has stirred up quite the ruckus among the good people of Ohio. The proposal aims to change the park’s name because its namesake, Gen. Anthony Wayne, was not exactly a fan favorite among the Native Americans. The US Department of Agriculture Forest Service has suggested renaming the park after receiving requests from local tribal leaders. The Forest Service is mulling over options like “The Ohio National Forest” or the “Buckeye National Forest” to echo the state’s nickname. But wait, there’s more! They’ve also thrown in the “Koteewa National Forest” as a potential homage to the indigenous Miami Tribe.
Now, Forest Supervisor Lee Stewart claims they are listening to the Tribal Nations and community members, but Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio) ain’t having it. He fired off a letter disputing the proposed name change. According to him, Wayne is a national treasure and changing the name would be a slap in the face to Ohio’s rich history. Vance went on to laud Wayne’s heroics in securing American independence during the Revolutionary War and establishing an official border between the US and the Confederacy, which opened up Ohio for American settlement.
And he’s not alone in his dissent! Ohio Speaker of the House Jason Stevens thinks this is all just a flub from the “woke Biden administration.” He bemoans the federal government’s interference, claiming that it’s trying to fix a problem that doesn’t even exist.
Residents have also jumped into the fray, hot under the collar. Some folks are suggestin’ that renaming the park is a downright disservice to history. They reckon it’s like scrubbing away the real, raw human stories and leaving behind a sanitized version of the past. Others are all for the name change, arguing that it’s high time to bid adieu to the controversial Gen. Wayne.
