'It's our mountain, it's not just his': Grade 3 class petitions for name change back to ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱
Jean Paetkau | CBC News | Posted: June 15, 2018 12:00 PM | Last Updated: June 15, 2018
Students at the ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ Tribal School want a name change for a local park and mountain
"My class wants to make a change, and I hope you do too."
That's how Anthony George expressed his frustration in a letter to Green Party MLA Adam Olsen.
George is a Grade 3 student at the ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ Tribal School on the Saanich Peninsula.
He and his classmates wrote letters to Olsen after a recent trip to an area they traditionally know as ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ , the same name as their school.
The students were concerned and confused to see the signs marking the area as John Dean Provincial Park and Mount Newton.
George's concerns were echoed by his classmate Danaya Sam.
In her letter to Olsen she wrote, "I saw a sign that said John Dean Provincial Park.
"It's our mountain, it's not just his.
"Not to be mean, but we found it first. Can you please change the sign back to ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱."
Jorja Horne is in the same class, and she explained that ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ means a place of refuge.
"The First Nations got rescued by that mountain because the great flood was happening and they got saved by that mountain."
The representative for North Saanich and the Islands, Adam Olsen, was invited to visit the classroom.
"I heard, basically, what I've heard for a long time," Olsen said.
"That the W̱SÁNEĆ people here on the Saanich Peninsula have a very, very long history with what we know as Mount Newton, what has been known for a very long time as ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱."
"I think that what's important, is that it's something that these students have understood, and have very clearly articulated to me, is that those places don't lose the names just because they have a new name."
According to B.C. Parks, John Dean was a pioneer who donated part of the lands for the park in 1921.
However, Oslen said the names John Dean Park and Mount Newton do not necessarily have to be removed.
"I think that it is important to acknowledge the history of how that park is established."
In fact, the B.C. government reattached traditional names to three parks when it amended the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act and the Parks and Protected Areas Statutes Amendment Act in May.
Brooks Peninsula Park on Vancouver Island, was renamed to Mquqwin/Brooks Peninsula Park.
Mquqwin means "The Queen" in the Nuu-Chah-Nulth language.
Olsen said the students at the ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ Tribal School are continuing to add signatures to the 'cutest petition he has ever seen.'
He said when the legislature resumes he will share the petition with George Heyman, the minister of environment and climate change strategy.
"I don't think that we are done with the three parks, that the names were changed," Olsen said.
"I think we can continue this process, to begin to tell the story, the long story of B.C. and these important places."