It was first in May 2021 that the idea for Powell River to change its name was brought forward to city officials in the coastal B.C. community.

What followed, however, were bureaucratic delays and heightened tension among residents, leaving some wondering if their recommendations toward reconciliation becoming more than just words would ever actually become reality.

For Harmony Johnson, changing the name of the community she is from 含羞草研究社� which currently reflects a man whose main goal was to assimilate Indigenous people 含羞草研究社� is not only a task that her chief, Hegus John Hackett, asked her to lead but also a way to reduce the harm of that legacy that undermines the dignity of Johnson and her fellow Tla含羞草研究社檃min Nation members.

含羞草研究社淲e don含羞草研究社檛 want the name of the town and the interactions (of some community members) to undermine our dignity. We want to be who we are in our territories 含羞草研究社� which we have since time immemorial 含羞草研究社� and that含羞草研究社檚 what we含羞草研究社檙e trying to reclaim here,含羞草研究社� Johnson told Black Press Media in a phone interview from her home in Tla含羞草研究社檃min.

Johnson, who splits her time between North Vancouver and Tla含羞草研究社檃min Nation, served as co-chair of a joint working group between the city and the Nation and created recommendations on how to implement such a monumental change.

But around the time of the 2022 municipal election, Johnson and the group called for a cooling-off period as tensions rose and divisiveness took hold in the community.

含羞草研究社淲e have to issue warnings to our people, 含羞草研究社楬ey, it might be hot in town because of the comments that have been made about your identity and your language.含羞草研究社� It含羞草研究社檚 horrible.含羞草研究社�

It含羞草研究社檚 now been three years since Tla含羞草研究社檃min Nation含羞草研究社檚 efforts first began, and there含羞草研究社檚 not much to show for it in a way of tangible change, she said.

During a February council meeting, the city含羞草研究社檚 mayor and council voted to kick the decision down the road to the next civic election.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e still kind of in the middle of, I guess, whether this is a decision or not. It含羞草研究社檚 astounding. It含羞草研究社檚 taking too long.含羞草研究社�

Now, in 2024, Johnson wonders 含羞草研究社渋f not now, when?含羞草研究社�

Israel Wood Powell: The man behind the name

This isn含羞草研究社檛 the first time the Nation has called for a civic body to update its name.

In 2018, the qathet Regional District underwent its renaming to rid of its connection to Israel Wood Powell, the namesake of the community

含羞草研究社淓verybody had been quite proud of the fact that, you know, 含羞草研究社楢ren含羞草研究社檛 we so progressive? We have this agreement and we have a process by which our governments coordinate and work together.含羞草研究社� That was a long effort to reach that place of creating a respectful protocol and a process for us to come together,含羞草研究社� Johnson said.

Powell River is named after Israel Wood Powell. Born in Ontario in 1836, he was appointed as the superintendent of B.C.含羞草研究社檚 newly formed Department of Indian Affairs in 1872.

For the next 17 years, he pursued 含羞草研究社減olicies aimed at assimilating Indigenous peoples into settler Canadian society,含羞草研究社� according to a document provided to the city. The year after he retired, a residential school opened in Kamloops and became one of the largest schools operated by Indian Affairs.

Ace Harry, 22, grew up on Tla含羞草研究社檃min Nation and Powell River and recently returned to live there. She says a name change would fundamentally recognize the presence of her people and their children.

含羞草研究社淩esidential schools were built upon the idea of denying the very existence of Native children. And today, our foster care system and child apprehension systems 含羞草研究社� rely upon the ignorance of the general population to the very existence of these kids.含羞草研究社�

Some people in the community have taken on the slogan, 含羞草研究社淚 heart PR,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社楶R含羞草研究社� meaning Powell River 含羞草研究社� by putting stickers on vehicles, as well as on a billboard in the city. That push, Harry says, seeks to deny and extinguish the very existence of her people.

含羞草研究社淏ut again, that was explicitly taught for a very long time. It含羞草研究社檚 going to require an incredible amount of work for any individual to deprogram those racist assumptions, let alone entire communities and especially at the pace that was being demanded.含羞草研究社�

Racism was 含羞草研究社榬ight below the surface含羞草研究社�

First Nations across the country have called for name restorations 含羞草研究社� from buildings and schools, to streets and even islands 含羞草研究社� amid the 94 recommendations in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission含羞草研究社檚 calls to action.

Following the name-change request in May 2021, the city and Tla含羞草研究社檃min Nation established a joint working group, made up of elected officials and appointees to oversee a 含羞草研究社渃ommunity conversation含羞草研究社� about the proposal.

The working group conducted engagement meetings between March and June 2022, before releasing its final report on July 15, 2022. It included 11 recommendations.

What came next, however, was a 含羞草研究社渇ire hose of racism,含羞草研究社� Johnson said, leading to the group being forced to take pause. There was also the upcoming 2022 civic election.

含羞草研究社淭rust and safety did erode at that time and has continued to feel very tenuous.含羞草研究社�

The committee was worried for people含羞草研究社檚 safety 含羞草研究社� emotionally, culturally, psychologically and physically.

Johnson is an adjunct professor at UBC and studies racism for a living and has authored numerous reports on how racism intersects with inequities in health care. Reflecting on the response to the group含羞草研究社檚 efforts was 含羞草研究社減robably the most hurtful and overt processes where racism was just right there,含羞草研究社� she said.

含羞草研究社淚t showed that this is right below the surface and maybe we think that these polite forums where we have intergovernmental relations are making a difference 含羞草研究社� and they are in some ways in some of those personal relationships. But the reality is is that is not everywhere in our society yet.含羞草研究社�

In January of this year, the name-change project that had been seemingly put on pause was brought back to the forefront, during a council meeting that drew provincial attention.

On a Jan. 30 committee of the whole meeting, Coun. Jim Palm drew ire after using a made-up Tla含羞草研究社檃min word to refer to what the city could be renamed to.

含羞草研究社淪tep one is 含羞草研究社楢re you in favour of a name change?含羞草研究社� Yes or no. That含羞草研究社檚 simple. You don含羞草研究社檛 convolute it with 含羞草研究社榃akawana含羞草研究社� or whatever name comes out of Tla含羞草研究社檃min. You just simply ask the question and get a response. Yes or no, and then we have a direction,含羞草研究社� Palm said at the time.

The Nation denounced the comment a few days later, followed by similar statements from the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs and the First Nations Leadership Council.

B.C含羞草研究社檚 Indigenous Relations Minister Murray Rankin said he was hopeful that Palm 含羞草研究社� who had issued an apology to some news publications at that point 含羞草研究社� would learn from the work the community, city and Tla含羞草研究社檃min Nation had already put in.

While Palm含羞草研究社檚 comments put a lot of focus on the ongoing process, not all of that attention has been good.

Since his Jan. 30 comment, letters started circulating in the community from 含羞草研究社渃oncerned citizens.含羞草研究社� One such letter, posted by the Nation on its website, said Tla含羞草研究社檃min含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渁ttack含羞草研究社� on Palm was 含羞草研究社渏ust one more unwarranted reason why reconciliation and your misconceptions of what the truth is, is causing division between people.含羞草研究社�

READ MORE:

The city released a statement apologizing to the Nation, adding it wishes to 含羞草研究社渃ontinue serious conversations about furthering all aspects of reconciliation.含羞草研究社�

It含羞草研究社檚 been more than three months. Johnson says there含羞草研究社檚 a dichotomy in the community between the lack of safety in some areas and the tenseness associated with that, juxtaposed with the moments of caring for and celebrating one another.

But she says there is still support in the community, pointing to Sunday含羞草研究社檚 memorial march for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and this past week含羞草研究社檚 Nation assembly, which informs people of the work of Tla含羞草研究社檃min.

Recommending against a referendum

On Jan. 16, the city tabled strategic priorities, including taking 含羞草研究社渞eal steps towards a name change.含羞草研究社� A month later, council voted to include the topic as a referendum in the 2026 municipal election.

This decision came despite one of the original recommendations from Johnson and the working group, which found that a referendum was not a necessary way to enact a renaming, as municipalities have most of the authority around renaming its city.

含羞草研究社淚n many ways, referendums are demonstrated very clearly to be very harmful, and divisive exercises,含羞草研究社� Johnson said, pointing to the then-B.C. Liberal含羞草研究社檚 2002 referendum on First Nations treaty rights.

Elections 含羞草研究社� including the upcoming provincial election in the fall 含羞草研究社� will continue to be factors that shape the conversation, Johnson added.

含羞草研究社淪ome of this is just like the tide: It含羞草研究社檚 going to come in and change is going to occur and it含羞草研究社檒l become normalized, and it含羞草研究社檒l just become how we think about the place.含羞草研究社�

Working toward reviving the Sliammon language

While it has been three years since this process first began, it remains in very early stages; possible names haven含羞草研究社檛 yet been formally put forward or even recommended by the Nation.

Tla含羞草研究社檃min chief Hegus John Hackett told Black Press Media in February that the ball is in the city含羞草研究社檚 court, especially following Palm含羞草研究社檚 comment.

含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 a lot of speculation from the city that we含羞草研究社檙e gonna rename it something that含羞草研究社檚 hard to pronounce, and I think that含羞草研究社檚 kind of where Jim Palm含羞草研究社檚 mockery might be coming from.含羞草研究社�

Hackett says Tla含羞草研究社檃min is a progressive nation and efforts are being made to revive their language, Sliammon.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e trying to re-establish place names. And with that work, it含羞草研究社檚 really brought our community together in a positive way.含羞草研究社�

Last August, Ace Harry lost her grandmother, the second-oldest speaker in Tla含羞草研究社檃min Nation and 含羞草研究社渙ne of the biggest powerhouses of knowledge that we had left.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 really kind of shoved my face into the urgency of the kind of issues that we含羞草研究社檙e working with.含羞草研究社�

For Harry, though, she has 含羞草研究社渓ukewarm feelings含羞草研究社� toward a renaming, pointing to 含羞草研究社渄arker problems coming at a much faster pace,含羞草研究社� such as climate change.

含羞草研究社淭here are just other issues that I think would force settlers and their children to reckon with the existence of Indigenous people that aren含羞草研究社檛 completely focused on language.含羞草研究社�

Names changes elsewhere in Canada

Powell River isn含羞草研究社檛 the first municipality to look into name changes or restorations of previous names.

There are several communities in B.C. that have also changed various landmarks and buildings, including and that was named after a federal Indian Agent for the West Coast of Vancouver Island and was involved in the operation of the Alberni Indian Residential School.

In Cowichan, officials are looking to .

The Village of Daajing Giids (formerly Queen Charlotte City) restored its traditional Haida name in July 2022.

READ MORE:

Daajing Giids Mayor Lisa Pineault said the process took about three years from when the village was asked by Skidegate Haida Immersion Program to change the name. The change was just one request that the program has been working on for many years.

And more than a decade before that, the name Haida Gwaii was restored to the grouping of more than 150 islands off of B.C.含羞草研究社檚 north coast. Meaning 含羞草研究社淚slands of the People,含羞草研究社� Haida Gwaii had already been in use for years leading up to the official restoration.

READ MORE:

The Regional District was gifted the word qathet 含羞草研究社� meaning working together 含羞草研究社� by Tla含羞草研究社檃min Nation in June 2017. By the following year, the province had issued its official approval for the requested name change.

The Geographical Names Board of Canada says between 2023 and 2024, British Columbia rescinded the names of nine geographical features, as the names contained 含羞草研究社渧arious derogatory terms.含羞草研究社� Those features are currently undergoing renaming processes.

Halfway across the country, Tom Terry was part of a group in the Ontario community of Sioux Lookout that pushed to rename an island that had inherited a derogatory English name for Indigenous women.

It is now known as Equay Minis, meaning Woman Island.

He says the group received minimal push back. But fighting for that progress is important.

含羞草研究社淲hen the colonial governments proceeded with their efforts at mapping land, often the Indigenous names, if they were difficult to pronounce 含羞草研究社� they were often discarded, and new names were provided in their place.含羞草研究社�

Indigenous place names are often rich in history, evoking a legend, personal experience or even a humorous story. A name should resonate with people, he says.

含羞草研究社淲hen Indigenous people talk about the relationship with the land, that含羞草研究社檚 a very genuine, very rich relationship which many non-Indigenous people have a hard time appreciating and respecting or acknowledging and understanding.含羞草研究社�

A hope for an easier path forward in the future

Johnson hopes it only becomes easier and streamlined to make these important changes in the future.

含羞草研究社淭he first thing to go through is often not the fastest.含羞草研究社�

B.C.含羞草研究社檚 Municipal Affairs Ministry works with local governments and First Nations with the understanding that each community will approach the decision differently; the province含羞草研究社檚 oversight is to ensure the process is collaborative, the ministry said in an emailed statement.

For Johnson, that streamlined process will help better the lives of Indigenous people and help curb the deeply-rooted systemic and institutionalized colonialism.

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 glad that Tla含羞草研究社檃min is on the forefront of this. I含羞草研究社檓 proud of the work that we含羞草研究社檝e done as a joint working group. I含羞草研究社檓 anxious to see that work come to fruition and I hope that that work creates a path 含羞草研究社� an easier path 含羞草研究社� for others in in the work that they含羞草研究社檒l need to undertake.含羞草研究社�

As an educator, Johnson likens the need to streamline these kinds of processes to the work done in adding carved out curriculum dedicated to normalizing conversations about racism, colonialism and Indigenous languages.

含羞草研究社淚 think this is just a matter of time for that generation to be to be the leaders of tomorrow that are making the changes naturally, without question. But I do think that there含羞草研究社檚 barriers we can remove today so that we don含羞草研究社檛 have to wait 20 years for that generation to do the right thing.含羞草研究社�