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Halq’eméylem place names as documented in A Stó:lô-Coast Salish Historical Atlas |
Interestingly, the following two news releases, both within the past 3 weeks on opposite ends of the country, have indicated a strong need for having traditional place names officially recognized on maps.
Aboriginal place names may be brought back to B.C.
by Craig McInnes; With a file from Amy O’Brian
Vancouver Sun (Saturday, March 15, 2003)
VICTORIA — The provincial government wants to start recognizing aboriginal place names as part of a reconciliation with First Nations in B.C.
Premier Gordon Campbell has been talking privately with native leaders recently about ways native history can be recognized along with the European names that now dominate maps of the province.
"I think one of the challenges we face with First Nations is that they feel on many occasions that we’ve tried to erase their past," Campbell said Friday.
Chief Ed John of the First Nations Summit said the loss of aboriginal names is an important issue, partly because European explorers used the idea that the lands they were naming were "terra nullus," or empty lands.
"It’s an old concept that was used in history by colonial powers to justify their assertion of Crown sovereignty," said John.
"There are people who have occupied this land and they have long histories and names for all these places. It’s an important issue with respect to the truth."
Campbell said he is not considering changing the names of cities or the province.
But John says a new name for British Columbia is worth considering.
"The old colonial boys might object but maybe it’s time to have a real serious discussion about that name," he said.
John does not have a new name in mind but says the current name does not reflect either native history or the current demographics of the province.
"No disrespect at all to anyone British but it’s hardly British."
Although dozens of places and towns in B.C. have native-sounding names, many of them are bastardizations of the "true" names, said Henry Davis, an associate professor of linguistics at the University of B.C.
For example, the proper spelling of what most people know as Squamish, is actually sk xwu7mesh, Davis said.
(The 7 symbolizes what linguists call a "glottal stop," which indicates a sound similar to that heard in the "uh" of "uh oh.")
Placing the First Nations spellings of places and towns under the English spellings on road signs would be a good start to recognizing places by their original names, Davis suggested.
If such a project was completed, the town of Lillooet would have the secondary name of sat’, and signs pointing towards Black Tusk, near Whistler, would have the secondary name of nq’il’qtens ku skenknap, which means seat of thunder, Davis said.
Three years ago, the provincial government changed a number of place names in B.C. to eliminate the term "squaw," which is considered by natives to be derogatory.
That change stirred little controversy, but an attempt by Prime Minister Jean Chretien to rename Mount Logan in the Yukon in honour of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau kicked up a firestorm of protest and was eventually dropped.
While few people objected to honouring Trudeau, they were against dropping the name given to the mountain in honour of a distinguished Canadian from an earlier era.
Campbell said he recognizes that names can be an emotional issue, which is why it is important to come to terms with aboriginal place names in B.C.
"No one’s claiming this is necessarily going to be easy," said Campbell, who says recognizing aboriginal history will not mean erasing the history of the province since the arrival of the Europeans.
"I’m willing to listen to proposals that are brought forward. I think that we want to recognize all of the history of British Columbia, not part of it. Not one part to the exclusion of another part."
John said the names issue will be an important part of talks on reconciliation between the province and First Nations, a concept the Liberal government highlighted in the recent Speech from the Throne.
But even among First Nations, names can be a complicated issue as there are 26 different aboriginal languages in B.C.
Some features have more than one aboriginal name, John said.
"The Fraser River, it covers many different tribes, but the people in the lower Fraser call it Stolo. The people in the upper Fraser, in my territory, we call it Ltha Koh. Koh means river."
Davis said the Lillooet people call it sat’atqwa7.
© Copyright 2003 Vancouver Sun
Labrador Innu and Inuit want traditional place names recognized
by Paul Pigget, CBC News, Happy Valley – Goose Bay
CBC Iqaluit Regional News Summary (Tuesday – February 25, 2003 – 8:30)
Labrador Innu and Inuit want the provincial government to stop giving local lakes and rivers English names. Both groups say the practice has already diminished the region’s aboriginal heritage. Now they want existing native names to officially recognized. Paul Pigget (sp) reports.
Inuit broadcaster Kanami Tuglavina (sp) says the Labrador coast has a rich history of local names.
"Today they’re getting to be known in Kadlunat (sp) names."
Kadlunat means non Inuit. Tuglavina says provincial mapmakers often substitute English words for the traditional Inuktitut. She says that could confuse Inuit travellers and hunters.
"We have to look closely at the map, really closely, and to identify exactly where that Kadlunat name is referring to."
One example on the north coast is Taber Island (sp), something the Inuit call Napatuligak (sp). The world tells an Inuktitut speaker that the remote island has trees. Tuglavina says important information like that often gets lost in the translation. Anthropologist Peter Armitage (sp) agrees that mapmakers are throwing away an important part of this province’s heritage.
"I hope we don’t have to wait for land claims to be signed in order for us to proceed with this name. I know that in other jurisdictions they didn’t wait for the outcome of those processes, they just recognized the aboriginal history outright and got cracking and accepted the names."
Innu names for lakes and streams along the proposed highway between Cartwright and Happy Valley – Goose Bay are expected to be a major issue during the upcoming environmental assessment of that project.
Paul Pigget, CBC News, Happy Valley – Goose Bay