[STARTRIBUNE] DULUTH — City leaders are making a push to remove the word "chief" from job titles, calling the term offensive to indigenous people.At a news conference Wednesday, Duluth Mayor Emily Larson implored City Council members to vote to approve the change next week "so that we have more inclusive leadership and less language that is rooted in hurt and offensive, intentional marginalization."
The measure, slated to go before the council Monday night, would change Chief Administrative Officer Noah Schuchman’s title to city administrator and Chief Financial Officer Wayne Parson’s title to finance director.
"I think that there are other titles that we have the opportunity to use to steer away from language that may put people down based off their race or culture," said Alicia Kozlowski, Duluth’s community relations officer and member of the Grand Portage and Fond du Lac Bands of Lake Superior Chippewa.
Kozlowski said "chief" is used as "a racial epithet, and it turns into a microaggression." She added that the city is trying to be proactive by addressing the issue before residents ask.