Citizens
For
Healing

oval in box

Rename
Kelseyville
to Konocti



To send a letter of support to the BGN, see our How Page

Change Kelseyville to Konocti referred to the CACGN

On March 8, 2024 the case file was referred from the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN) to the California Advisory Committee on Geographic Names (CACGN).

Several tribal members and supporters went to Sacramento for the meeting. Mr Ron Montez, THIPO of Big Valley, was allowed to give a 10-minute talk to the Committee. He summarized the history, and emphasized that the name "Kelseyville" is offensive TODAY.

Additional 3-minute tribal presentations were made by Mr Ray (a descendant of Augustine) and Mr Brown.

Three non-tribal people also spoke : Sarah Ryan, Jenine Pfeifer, and Alan Fletcher. Collectively, we emphasized that "Save The Name" had buried 20,000 years of history, and that the CONTINUING offensiveness of the name "Kelseyville" takes precedence over 170 years of Settler History.

CACGN assigned a committee member to be in charge of the case. Based on her report on three other cases, we think we will get a fair, well-studied, and unbiased decision. Our Konocti case is her only assignment.

We welcome CACGN staff to our web site. We suggest that you read these documents first:

Our Why Page has the text from our proposal, and a 3-page history of the main events relating to the Kelseys.

A full, referenced, version of the history is at: A History of Tribes and Settlers in Big Valley

The Advisory Council on California Indian Policy has an excellent summary of Tribal and Setler history : Special Circumstances of the California Indians

Our main opposition is represented by a group "Save the Name of Kelseyville" (SNK: apparently a committee of the Kelseyville Business Association), who wrote a letter to BGN (quoted in the case file), and followed it with a submitted article in an online newspaper. They have a private facebook page: Save Kelseyville

Citizens For Healing Rebuttal of Opposition by "Save the Name of Kelseyville" (Version 2)


Our submitted documentation (plus some background information) is on our Documents Page

CACGN's next meeting is in July. They will most likely not be ready for a decision, but a progress report will probably be given.


Kelsey descendant Arlene Green : "You should not memorialize a monster with a town name"

To: bgnexec@usgs.gov Arlene Green in Support of the proposal for the name KONOCTI

To my knowledge, I am the only person living in Lake county who is an actual descendant of the Kelsey line.

My generation is horrified we have this in our history. The generation previous to mine was ashamed enough to caution me not to bring it up; to hide it.

So perhaps the people who decide such things should not choose to memorialize a monster with a town name. There are other, better ways, to preserve the truth of what happened.

Regards, Arlene Green

(Edited for length, with permission. The full letter is at Letters)


What's In A Name? Article in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat

What's In a Name?
Kelseyville was named for a man who slaughtered Native Americans. Should a town still be named for him?
Austin Murphy - The Press Democrat - Online February 16, 2024, Print February 18, 2024 Pages A1,11,12

We are aware of most of the issues raised by our opponents. Some are in our rebuttal to "Save The Name of Kelseyville" - a recently identified group which has a private Facebook Page.
Citizens For Healing Rebuttal of Opposition by "Save the Name of Kelseyville" (Version 2)

For a "quick start" on our proposal and a short history of the area, we recommend:

Our Why Page has the text from our proposal, and a 3-page history of the main events relating to the Kelseys.

A History of Tribes and Settlers in Big Valley is a longer (8-page, plus references) history, based on the same research as the short version.

Our hope is that after you have read this account you will be unable to explain how one could NOT take offense at the continuing use of the hurtful name "Kelseyville".


Various Names Given to Kelseyville - By Kevin Engle

Pioneers and settlers called it Kelsey's, Kelsey's Place, Kelsey Crick, Kelsey Creek and Kelsey Town. In documents it was Kelsey Creek Township. The new post office was created as "Uncle Sam" in 1858, but that was not used as the town name, although it did appear on maps. In 1888 it was briefly incorporated as "Kelseyville".
What's In a Name: a talk by Clovice Lewis

The text of this talk has been submitted to the BGN, and is on this site as What's In A Name (text)


Board on Geographic Names January 2024 Quarterly Review List 454

Our proposal to rename Kelseyville to Konocti is on the Board on Geographic Names (BGN) January 2024 Quarterly Review List at Review List 454 January 23, 2024

Anyone who wishes to send a comment to the BGN - in support or in opposition - may email the BGN The subject line MUST include the word KONOCTI. The BGN will forward all submissions to the CACGN. It will be helpful to us if you send us a copy.

Note: we will add the Supervisors to the email shortly.

We recommend the format:
To: BGNEXEC@usgs.gov
cc: info@citizensforhealing.org
Subject: **Your Name** in Support of the proposal for the name KONOCTI

Or you can try using this automatic email link which does all that.
Send Email to BGN

In either case, please edit the subject line "**Your Name**" to your name, or to remove it.


Documents for the BGN Proposal

Our submitted documentation (plus some background information) is on our Documents Page (Updated 2/17/2024)


Purpose

Citizens for Healing has petitioned the US Board on Geographic Names to change the name of Kelseyville to Konocti.

The unique name of Konocti honors our beautiful mountain and the native people. It evokes images of nature, art, music, spirituality, and recreation

The town of Kelseyville was named after Andrew Kelsey. However, historic records reveal that this same man and his brothers enslaved, brutalized, raped, starved, and murdered many local natives.

Giving the town a new name will create a more healing environment for the whole county.

Elders from all seven tribes in Lake County have given their approval of the new name Konocti.


Summary: Who, Why and How


Citizens for Healing (C4H) is a local group of volunteers who came together to change the name of the town of Kelseyville to Konocti. See our About Page

The first C4H meeting was held in Pioneer Park in Kelseyville on October 12, 2020, Indigenous Peoples Day, and we have been meeting nearly every month since then. We have held public informational meetings all round the lake. On Monday, October 9th, (Indigenous People's Day, 2023) Citizens for Healing held a gathering to Celebrate 3 years of functioning together as a group.

The core of our formal proposal is on our Why Page

Our full proposal is on the Documents Page

In January, 2024 our proposal to the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN) was published in their Quarterly Review List. The California Advisory Committee on Geographic Names (CACGN) then takes over, and solicits input from diverse local groups, They may visit Lake County in the process. The CACGN sends a recommendation to the BGN, which makes the final decision.

The procedure is on our How Page


Notices

The next meeting will be at 2 PM in Upper Lake on March 10, 2024.

The March 10th meeting will be a working session to review our progress and plan our next steps.
The agenda will be distributed via our c4h@groups.io mailing list.

This will be at a private home in Upper Lake. Call Dallas at 707-245-4118 for directions.