Hereditary chiefs are criticizing the Vancouver Island City Council for its remarks on restoring indigenous local names

Hereditary Chiefs of the Liǧʷiłdaxʷ Nations of Vancouver Island have sent a scathing letter to the mayor and council of Campbell River, British Columbia, regarding their comments on a proposal to restore the native names of three geographic areas.

The comments were made at a council meeting last month, during which one councilor questioned whether the name change would speed up reconciliation efforts too quickly.

Hereditary Chairman Gigamae Yakawidi, also known as Sean Decker, told CBC News they sent their response letter to the council on Thursday. He too published a copy of it on your Facebook page.

“We have to say that we are not only disappointed, but also saddened and appalled by the comments made by the council members regarding the restoration of the names of the places that they have had since the beginning of time,” the letter said.

“To say that reconciliation is moving too fast and that you struggle to pronounce the names of the lands you’re driving through is to spit on the indigenous people, and on any hope of working towards reconciliation with the indigenous people.”

Earlier this year, the Liǧʷiłdaxʷ Nations, which include the We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and Kwiakah peoples, submitted a proposal to the British Columbia Geographic Names Authority to restore the Aboriginal names of Discovery Sound, Queensam River and Taii Spit.

Changes will include:

• Passage Opening to Passage Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ (pronounced Lee-Gwit-Dow)
• Queensam River to Kʷənsem (pronounced queen-sam)
• Tyee Spit to ʔuxstalis (pronounced ohh– hundred rent)

Over the past few years, other First Nations throughout the British Era have successfully changed the names of key geographic locations.

On southern Vancouver Island, Saanich council supported the change Mount Douglas to PKOLS. On the Sunny Coast, Wilson Creek is now called ts’uḵw’um and Saltery Bay is now sḵelhp.

There was a park in the Lower Mainland formerly known as Belcarra Regional Park officially renamed təmtəmíxʷtən/Belcarra Regional Parkin recognition of the ancestral homeland of the Tsleil-Wautut Nation.

Pace of reconciliation ‘controversial’: adviser

At the Oct. 8 city council meeting, Campbell River councilors discussed letter sent by the British Columbia Office of Geographical Names inviting comments on the name change.

Earl Ben Lanyon said he believed the changes would benefit tourism, but added that he had trouble pronouncing the Likʷala name for Discovery Passage.

He then said the name changes could “diverge with public opinion”. He later added that the pace of reconciliation was “debatable” and “could do more damage” if it was achieved too quickly.

“The level of opposition to these measures is growing,” he said. “It’s just going at a certain pace, and I think it needs to be delayed a little bit.”

A letter from the hereditary chiefs of the Liǧʷiłdaxʷ First Nations condemned the comments.

“Do you think the consequences of boarding schools happened too quickly? Do you think it was too quick to deprive our people of their traditional lands and rights? Do you think that the rape, kidnapping, beating and killing of the indigenous population happened too quickly. ?” the letter says.

“The names of these places are our heritage and should be marked as such, and not seen as a step to promote tourism, but as a movement to restore and develop relations with the indigenous people.”

More consultations are a “disservice”: elected leaders

At the meeting on October 8, some deputies stated that they support the name change. But the board did not address the city’s statement of support in a letter to the naming office and discussed the province’s request to hold information sessions instead.

Councilors also discussed concerns about navigation charts and the costs associated with changing signs and documents.

At the next meeting on October 24, Wei Wai Kum was elected chairman of the council. Chris Roberts appeared as part of the delegation, along with We Wai Kai, the chosen chief adviser. Ronnie Chickitt said the comments were “alarming”.

Roberts asked the city to either send a letter saying the city supports reconciliation and the name change, or simply respond with “no comment” — “because it would be a disservice to invite further consultation on this matter.”

The board voted to discuss their response at the next closed meeting.

CBC News reached out to Lanyon and Mayor Kermit Dahl for comment, but no one responded.

“Major disagreements” on reconciliation

In their letter, the hereditary chiefs supported what Roberts said at the meeting, but added that “this is our traditional territory and we do not need permission (from the city) to call it by our legal name.”

“Tell us again how uncomfortable we are, or do the right thing and try to mend the bonds that seem more broken than ever before.”

Decker said he asked that their letter be included on the agenda for the next council meeting.

Speaking to CBC News, Chief Roberts said Liǧʷiɫdax̌ʷ generally has a good relationship with the city council.

He believes the debate may have been influenced by the recent provincial election, which created “two pretty broad, big differences on the political approach to reconciliation.”

Despite her concerns about the council’s comments and actions, Roberts hopes the community will move forward with the name change and its commitment to reconciliation, as outlined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

“The work we do as elected officials … it’s always tempered by public trust, and people have to buy into that,” he said.

“Obviously, not everyone will agree. So often you have to make difficult decisions that are not always popular.”

Roberts pointed to other BC First Nations who have successfully restored native names to their traditional territory, as do many people who now consider Salish Sea instead of Georgia Strait.

Other examples given by Roberts include Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Wautut First Nations.