First Nation upset as bitter debate over giving school Indigenous name ends in 'compromise'

It began as a reconciliation effort to bestow a new, Indigenous name on a high school in Prince George, B.C.

But it sparked vehement opposition and a racist backlash in a school district where more than 25 per cent of the students are Indigenous.

After two months of divisive debate, school trustees narrowly voted for a compromise of a sort late Tuesday: Kelly Road Secondary will keep its name; and it will get a second Indigenous name, Shas Ti Secondary, too. 

During a virtual School District 57 board meeting Tuesday night, trustee Ron Polillo said the dual-name solution would "bring both histories, tell both stories. It's a win-win."

But the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation, which proposed the Indigenous name, says it's "very unhappy" with the outcome.

"It's always the First Nations that have to compromise," Chief Clay Pountney told CBC News on Wednesday morning.

"You can't give in to racism. That's just not a proper thing to do. It seems like this is still what my parents and grandparents had to go through."

Two months ago, trustees gave unanimous support to the idea of naming a school Shas Ti, which means "Grizzly Trail" in Dakelh, the local Indigenous language. Local elders described the historical significance of the area, where grizzly still roam.

The Shas Ti name would grace a new, $42-million, state-of-the-art building to replace Kelly Road Secondary. School  district officials saw the proposed Indigenous renaming as a step toward reconciliation. 

But the proposal sparked immediate opposition.

Students, some wearing face paint, left school to protest with placards along Highway 97. Parents picketed the district office. Others organized petitions and online opposition.

In the end, several thousand people sent letters and emails to the school district, and responded to an online survey. The majority wanted Kelly Road to keep its name. 

'Racist overtone'

School superintendent Anita Richardson said many of those opposing the name change are simply proud of their school's traditions and wanted to keep the name.

But she said more education was needed.

"There have been racist comments that were made, racist sentiments that were shared ... a racist overtone for sure," she told CBC News in March.

Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall was also concerned. "That's not [like] our community and it concerns me," he said.

In a letter to the school district, read aloud before Tuesday night's decision, Pountney said his community was the target.

"[We]... endured racism for over 150 years and we will never concede to racism again," the chief said.

"Your schools are on our unceded ancestral land and the students should be learning about us."

Trent Derrick was among three school trustees who backed the Lheidli T'enneh's proposal to name the school Shas Ti Secondary.

"This is not a big ask," said Derrick. "The name on a school is a symbol. They are building trust in an education system  [that included] residential schools. This is a game changer for First Nations."

Trustees eventually voted 4-3 for the compromise of both names.

Trustee Bob Thompson, who voted for the compromise, said he didn't want the "confrontation to get out of hand."

Even after trustees voted to keep the Kelly Road school name, racist comments and threats of violence were posted to a Facebook group that opposed the renaming. 

The new Kelly Road Secondary School/Shas Ti Secondary School is set to open in September.