In the communities which border the reservations of north-central Idaho, the social contexts within which the word
"squaw" is often uttered by whites and received by Indians today is critical in clarifying the word's meaning. Lewis and Clark perhaps attached a more neutral meaning to the term's use in their day, not deliberately intending it to be offensive.
In daily verbal discourse today Indians generally understand the term in a highly negative fashion, referring to a range of derogatory and demeaning significances. Such meanings include, "whore," "loose woman," and specific parts of the female genitalia. In considering this social context for the use of the word "squaw,"
it is typically understood by Indians as a racial slur on his or her person, family, community, and/or heritage.