Earlier this year, our IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) committee was asked why our blog is named Signal Smoke, and wondered if it could be considered cultural appropriation of Native American culture to continue to use it? The committee decided it was worth doing some research and talking with a Native American scholar to try to understand this question better.

The second issue of the newsletter, from May 7, 1952, was the first one called Signal Smoke. We don’t have a clear explanation of the name in any of the early issues of the newsletter, but the connection to Native Americans’ communication is apparent from occasional indirect references in the newsletter and from the masthead of the July 1953 issue, which was the first to feature the name Signal Smoke drawn as though it was smoke.

The IDEA committee discussed how the name didn’t come across as disrespectful or intentionally harmful, but that it also didn’t point either to our conservation work or to anything specific about Native American culture. We then decided to consult with an expert to find out whether the name could be seen as cultural appropriation.

The Board invited University of Texas at Austin professor and Native American scholar Dr. Circe Sturm to speak at our January 2023 meeting, and we explored the meaning behind the term “smoke signal” as it relates to Native American history. During this discussion, we learned that referring to smoke signals isn’t necessarily cultural appropriation, but it does refer to technologies of the past, which can reinforce stereotypes of Native Americans as perhaps being trapped in an “old world” instead of being a part of our current one. Dr. Sturm shared information about other examples of stereotypes of Native Americans that did cause harm and agreed that though this example wasn’t racist or discriminatory, it didn’t really shed a positive light on Native American culture either. Plus, we noted that the name doesn’t have a strong connection to birds or conservation, and the committee recommended that we take the opportunity to connect the blog name more directly to our mission.

In light of this research, our Board of Directors voted to officially change the name of Signal Smoke to something that feels more in line with the spirit and mission of our organization: Murmurations. This name was proposed by TAS Board member Jason Garcia, who explained how he came up with the idea:

“For the new name, I wanted to try to think of something that pertained to birds but could also reflect what we were trying to do with the blog. While brainstorming, I happened upon the word “murmurations”, which I thought was a great encapsulation of these ideas. Birds (specifically starlings), perform a murmuration as a flocking behavior, which for the blog could also apply as getting people on the same page. I also liked that it included the word “murmur,” as ideas or sounds bubbling under the surface.”

Murmurations are also different from a flock—they are usually large gatherings of birds making coordinated movements, which feels a lot like the work we hope to do for conservation. They are also beautiful to look at, resembling a choreographed dance. This also feels like what we do as we connect with our members and partners in both the enjoyment and conservation of birds. It is true that European Starlings, an invasive species in North America, do make murmurations, but we discussed how Starlings are some of the most common birds beginners will encounter in our ecosystem and how there is much to be learned from them. Even Starlings can be a part of inspiring conservation through birding!

Thank you to Jason, the IDEA committee, and the TAS Board for helping us reconnect to our mission through our blog and newsletter name. We hope you’ll enjoy reading Murmurations as much as we will.