Vancouver’s Siwash Rock name disrespectful to First Nations, says park board
VANCOUVER — The Siwash Rock in Vancouver’s Stanley Park could be renamed if First Nations agree its name is disrespectful to Aboriginal Peoples.
The park board voted unanimously Wednesday night to work with Coast Salish Nations to determine if the distinctive rock should be renamed, saying it is taking a first step towards righting “acts of dispossession and disrespect.”
Commissioner Catherine Evans proposed the motion and said the Stanley Park intergovernmental working group, which includes representatives from the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, will consider the change.
Evans said the working group, formed about three years ago to oversee the master planning and stewardship of the park, is the right organization to deal with the issue but renaming the rock might not top its agenda because its members are extremely busy.