Is renaming enough?
While we commemorate Indigenous cultures, we must also alert our attention to Indigenous causes.
Being introduced to Canadian history eventually introduced me to the many roads, buildings, and town squares that have been renamed from colonial to Indigenous names. An act that honours rich languages and commemorates Indigenous history, bringing about decolonization and reconciliation.
I would like to note that as a non-Indigenous writer and new member to Canadian society, my perspective has been limited to the online resources of Indigenous perspectives. Yet, it remains an honour being able to access resources on a voice that has been silenced, shamed, and stripped of dignity throughout history by the colonial regime.
Renaming spaces with Indigenous names is part of an initiative by Canadian governments and institutes to honour the Indigenous nations that claimed this land before the illegal occupation of their homes by European settlers. While, European settlers undermined the Indigenous peoples’ sovereignty over their land through genocide and forced assimilation, they were still revered by the government. Many buildings and statues were constructed to remember these colonial European figures such as Adolphus Egerton Ryerson, Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir William Cornwallis. Hence, many renaming initiatives have been assumed to remove their influence. For instance, we have the Anaquod road in Regina, Saskatchewan named after Glen Anaquod, an Elder, member of Muscowpetung First Nation, and a residential school survivor. Another instance would be the renaming of the “Langevin Block” on Parliament Hill to the “Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council” in June 2017 due to Sir Hector-Louis Langevin’s involvement in the residential school system.
Removing the settlers’ influence also includes light to the rich and diverse Indigenous languages to rename these places and buildings. The Maanjiwe Nendamowinan building at UTM is an instance that we, students, see everyday. The name translates to gathering of minds in Anishinaabemowin. The city of Regina, Saskatchewan also named their new recreation centre the Mitaukuyé Owâs’ā Centre, with videos made to teach non-Indigenous people on the pronunciation and meaning of the name. According to Natural Resources Canada, as of 2025, “close to 30,000 official place names are of Indigenous origin, and efforts are ongoing to restore traditional names to reflect Indigenous cultures.”
Whilst honouring Indigenous heritages seems like a simple way to explain the reasons for these initiatives, a Metis writer and professor, Brenda Macdougall, claims that renaming forms people’s memories and sense of belonging instead of just solely a historical legacy.
Christina Gray, a Ts’msyen and Dene lawyer, explains that renaming places from colonial names revitalizes rich Indigenous languages and that is more than just a symbolic gesture; it reflects on Indigenous histories and connections to the land. The Indigenous Corporate Training Inc. builds upon this by reminding us of the value of the place names and how they are mnemonic devices that serve a historical, geographical and spiritual purpose.
One fascinating part about the renaming initiative is that it aims specifically at educating others about the history of Turtle Island that doesn’t rely within the boundaries of colonization. It teaches newcomers, like me, about the Indigenous cultures of the land. It is also a counter to the assimilation of the residential school system that forced Indigenous children away from their nations, lands and cultures, to internalize European ideals, resulting in mass cultural genocide and generation trauma.
However, I think that it’s important to remember that the issues surrounding Indigenous people go beyond just naming spaces. This is an issue laced in current struggles with European-instituted bureaucracies and the survival of the colonial regime. For example, Indigenous children are overrepresented in the foster care system and in prison inmate population, making up 53.8% of children in foster care and 42.8% of the prison population on average. Indigenous populations have also been subjected to greater rates of poverty and homelessness.
We must address the fact that Indigenous peoples are still displaced in their own lands, since their sovereignty has been revoked and restored only to a partial extent. In cases like these, resourcing the renaming of buildings and places turns a blind eye to the present plight that requires just as much funding, attention, and support. In fact, renaming buildings without aiding those struggling to live within their lands may become ostentatious since there is no value to commemorating Indigenous cultures when Indigenous communities are still condemned to the colonial systems and abuses of the Canadian government.
