Newly renamed facilities, including a community field and elementary school, better reflect the Indigenous history of the region. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

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Top Stories of 2022: Renaming Nanaimo field & school a sign of things to come

Dec 21, 2022 | 3:43 PM

NANAIMO — Several moves were made through 2022 to either rename, or return the name of certain places around Nanaimo to traditional First Nations terms.

In early June, School District 68 led a push to rename two of its facilities, Coal Tyee elementary school and NDSS Community Field, to names offered by Snuneymuxw First Nation.

The community field would eventually bare the name q’unq’inuqwstuxw, pronounced ki-KIN-ish-TOOK, which was a common call made by Indigenous athletes meaning to ‘pass it back’ or ‘return’.

“We believe that using q’unq’inuqwstuxw would not only honour the great legacy of Snuneymuxw athletes in the community, but also that concept of sharing or returning the land to it’s natural state,” Scott Saywell, SD68 superintendent, said at the time.

New signage would eventually adorn the facility after the School District approved the changes at the start of July.

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The name was chosen in consultation with the Snuneymuxw First Nation Elders Advisory and is approved by SFN’s Chief and Council.

Work to change over the former Coal Tyee elementary school to its new name, syuẁén’ct, pronounced sue-WINT-z, took a little longer.

It was also formally approved in July, but the official change over wasn’t recognized until a ceremony in early October.

syuẁén’ct principal Diane Charles said the new name means “our traditions” or “our history” and the process was a valuable teaching experience for the school’s community.

“The students have actually gone through the process of understanding where our original name came from, how it was linked to the colonial history of Nanaimo and what the gift from the (Snuneymuxw First) Nation of our new name means.”

Research in the history of the area revealed Coal Tyee represented “a tragic figure” to Snuneymuxw First Nation, according to Charles.

She said it will be up to the current students, parents and staff to teach future classes the name.

“Really it’s going to be our kids, it’s going to be the voices of our students that are going to be able to say ‘I go to syuẁén’ct, syuẁén’ct is my school.’”

A new bent wood box is on display at the front of syuẁén’ct Elementary School, built by a local First Nations artist. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

In both cases, the new terms were gifted from Snuneymuxw First Nation to the School District, instead of the District proposing names they’d found.

Joan Brown, chief administrative officer with SFN, said in the summer they embraced the process.

“It’s much deeper, and I’m sure we can all appreciate a name that is really about connectivity, it’s about healing, it’s about walking together, and from our perspective truly is going to enhance the recreational sports experience to a much deeper level.”

She added q’unq’inuqwstuxw is a sacred was of being for SFN which lives on in their ceremony and carries a profound teaching.

“It really means to give back. It’s easy to take but the deepest teaching is when you return something. For us the land has given us so much, we’re really humbling ourselves to the land to say, ‘we really want to return things to you you’ve given us,” and helping our young people really understand what that means.”

The changes in 2022 followed a December 2021 move from the provincial government, to return the name of the former Newcastle Island to Saysutshun.

One of the next areas which could be subject to a return to traditional naming is Mt. Benson.

Then-RDN board chair Tyler Brown indicated to NanaimoNewsNOW in August discussions were underway with Snuneymuxw First Nation about the history of the area and restoration of traditional names.

He added nothing was imminent and no direction had been decided.

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