High Noon – Nevada Names and the Stories on our Maps(Virtual Zoom)

High Noon January 21, 2027 Noon Register for this Lecture: Dr. Christine Johnson, historian Title: Nevada Names and the Stories on our Maps Speaker: Dr. Christine Johnson, historian, UNR Adjunct Professor, and Sparks Heritage Museum Executive Director Talk Summary: What’s in a name? When it comes to Nevada’s mountains, valleys, rivers, towns, and landmarks, the answer can be surprisingly complicated—and occasionally contentious. Geographic names are more than labels on a map; they reflect history, culture, power, memory, language, and our changing relationship with the landscape. In this talk, we will highlight some of Nevada’s interesting history seen in geographic names, ranging from mining camps to politicians, explorers to the natural wonders immortalized on our lands. We’ll also look at some of Nevada’s more controversial names and the questions they raise: who gets to name a place, whose history gets remembered and what happens when a name that once was ordinary becomes unacceptable? Speaker Bio: Christine Johnson has served on the Nevada State Board on Geographic Names, the Council of Geographic Naming Authorities and the Federal Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names, and was the Chair of the Subcommittee on Principles and Procedures for the Committee which was established by Secretarial Order 3405 in 2021. She teaches at UNR in the departments of geography, and anthropology and is currently updating the book Nevada Place Names, by Helen Carlson.