In preparation for mapmaking, he researched indigenous names of geographical landmarks and, in the process, learned that the Junipero Serra Peak in the Santa Lucia Range was named after Junípero Serra, the founder of the Spanish missions in California. In Kaufmann's view, Serra was responsible for acts of genocide against the indigenous peoples of California. To express his objection to the mountain's formal name, Kaufmann planned to refer to it by its Salinan name, Pimkolam, instead. However, he was persuaded that such a change would be beyond the scope of his project. He ultimately labeled the mountain with the name Santa Lucia Peak, which had once been in use before it became more commonly known as Junipero Serra Peak.