Image: Mallards, John James Audubon

Frequently Asked Questions about ASNV’s Investigation into Whether to Change its Name

Who was John James Audubon?

John James Audubon was a 19th-century artist and naturalist who achieved fame for his series of paintings of North American bird species. His large-format paintings, which were printed and published in the United States and Europe between 1827 and 1838 as The Birds of America, revolutionized the ways birds were depicted in the era before photography. While Audubon did not identify as a conservationist in the modern sense of the word, he did make important contributions to the early conservation movement. Audubon lamented the destruction of wildlife and declining bird populations, noting during a trip to Labrador: “Nature herself seems perishing. . . . When no more fish, no more game, no more birds exist on her hills, along her coasts, and in her rivers, then she will be abandoned and deserted like a worn-out field.” Audubon advocated for the creation of the country’s first natural history museum and the establishment of bird sanctuaries that could provide safe spaces for birds to breed and thrive.

How did the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia get its name?

In 1896, Harriet Hemenway and Minna B. Hall founded the Massachusetts Audubon Society, dedicated to stopping the killing of birds for their plumage, which was used in women’s hats. By 1898, sixteen states had established Audubon Societies. The National Association of Audubon Societies (now the National Audubon Society) was founded in 1905. Most chapters of the National Audubon Society adopted variants of the name that reflected their location. 

What are the concerns about continuing to use “Audubon” in the names of Audubon chapters?

Despite his enormous contributions to ornithology, John James Audubon was a complex and troubling figure. He enslaved Black people. He collected human remains and sent the skulls to a colleague who used them in now-discredited research asserting that White people were superior to non-Whites. Audubon committed both scientific fraud and plagiarism by painting a bird that does not exist based on another artist’s painting and using it to stimulate interest in his The Birds of America portfolio. While these details of Audubon’s life were not well-known in the past, they have become widely-known in the past few years and have tarnished his legacy.

Although National Audubon as an institution has wide-spread recognition as an organization to conserve birds, it has become increasingly clear that many people do not know who John James Audubon was or why conservation organizations use “Audubon” in their names. As a result, the Audubon name may become less important to our mission than it has been.

Wasn’t Audubon just a person of his time?

Many people in the South still owned slaves when Audubon owned them, but he lived during a time when the abolitionist movement was becoming increasingly powerful. Many people and religious groups denounced slavery on moral grounds from the seventeenth century onward. All the northern states had passed legislation to abolish slavery by 1820. Britain, where Audubon traveled to promote and sell his book of paintings, abolished the slave trade in 1807 and freed all slaves in the British Empire in 1838. Audubon nonetheless made a conscious choice to own enslaved people. 

Audubon’s collection of human skulls is more difficult to evaluate. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many naturalists collected skulls as part of their scientific work. While it is now recognized that it is unethical to collect human remains without permission, many museums, including the Smithsonian Institution, have been slow to return or repatriate human remains that were collected without permission. 

Of course, Audubon’s plagiarism of another artist’s painting and his painting and promotion of a bird that did not exist were reprehensible when he was alive. 

Why Is ASNV considering changing its name?

We recognize that continuing to honor John James Audubon in our chapter’s name might create a barrier for some people to engage with and join our organization. Influential Black birders and conservationists have written movingly of their struggle to deal with Audubon’s history and legacy and have advocated a change of name to remove the taint of racism from the study of birds and conservation. 

In recent years we have increased our efforts to reach out to all communities in our chapter territory through our diversity and inclusion initiatives. We believe that broadening our reach is critical to our ability to accomplish our mission of engaging all northern Virginia communities in enjoying, conserving, and restoring nature for the benefit of birds, other wildlife, and people. 

At the same time, we recognize that for many people the name “Audubon” is still synonymous with conservation. Some donors might be less inclined to support an organization that no longer has “Audubon” in its name. The National Audubon Society has decided, after more than one year of study, not to change its name, although it has stated that its chapters are free to change their own names. Several chapters have already decided to do so. 

Isn’t it better to acknowledge past wrong-doings rather than erase history?

It’s not our intent to “cancel” John James Audubon or erase history. Audubon’s The Birds of America will continue to be a vitally important part of the history of ornithology regardless of whether ASNV or other chapters change their names. Our decision on whether to change our name will be based on our evaluation of the best way to fulfill our mission now and in years to come.

How will ASNV decide whether to change its name?

The issue of whether to change our name is complex, and whatever we decide will have implications for our chapter for years to come. To help us make that decision, we sought the views of our members, donors, volunteers, community members, partners, and other organizations in the area we serve through an online survey. We closed the survey on October 15. We also continue to engage in dialogue with community organizations throughout our chapter service area. We will take all the information we gather into consideration, and our Board of Directors will vote on whether to change our name in a few months. 

If ASNV changes its name, what would be the new name?

We will not begin a systematic evaluation of possible new names until we decide whether to change our name. A number of chapters of the National Audubon Society have either decided or are in the process of deciding whether to change their names. Many of those chapters believe that it is important for as many chapters as possible to adopt similar names to preserve the national cohesiveness of purpose and public recognition that they have maintained in the past. The names that other chapters choose will help to inform our decision on what name to choose if we decide to change our name. 

If ASNV changes its name, would it still be a chapter of the National Audubon Society? 

Yes, we would remain a chapter of the National Audubon Society regardless of whether we change our name. Our work alongside the 600 other organizations in the network would continue, and we would support the work of the national organization to maximize successes for birds and habitat. The problems that birds, other wildlife, and our environment face are too important for any one chapter to take on. We will continue to work together as we have since 1984, when we were incorporated as the Fairfax Audubon Society.

Where can I learn more?

Check out these resources to learn more about John James Audubon and the name change issue:

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