I hope as a half aboriginal person, making me Métis, but my aboriginal family heritage is the oldest documented with the UN (due to a massive ongoing land claim) i hope you will hear my point of view. I’m descended from 4 tribes. My 1630’s great grandma was a woman who had a relationship with Jean Nicolet and ultimately gave birth to a child by him. He was an explorer credited with the founding of Wisconsin. One of my great grandmas was a Pawnee woman held as a slave in Montreal. I’ve had older relatives who were victimized by the residential school system. Though I have pronounced indigenous features, I’m blond and blue eyed. I experienced hearing the horrible remarks made about people that my near and dear grandparents resembled. To my point….I don’t think names should be changed. Rather than look at them as honouring those that don’t deserve to be celebrated, I think that they can be a persistent and long lasting reminder to what has happened and cause for reflection. The Hudson Bay Company did its best to destroy indigenous people. I still shop there. It’s not the same company. The British crown has historically been horrible. I do like the Queen, though after her I feel I’m done with it. The names of certain sports teams and vehicles need to be altered. Until this hit the media, I had no idea who Dundas was. It never occurred to me the street was named after a man. Let the name remain….to remind us that though the man should be forgotten, the name is synonymous with his actions. It teaches us all not to always celebrate but be mindful of the past. Though it’s not named after a person that I'm aware of, Auschwitz hasn’t changed its name.
