Indigenous Building Names at Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions  

Introduction 

Indigenous names honour and recognize First Nations. They are a title to a deep story of truth, history, and connection that honour and recognize the First Nations on whose unceded and traditional territories Canadian institutions reside. Indigenous names support the resurgence of Indigenous cultures and languages and can play a vital part in reconciliation. 

Words have meaning and names have power. Throughout Canada, Indigenous peoples are working to restore their place names and revitalize their languages after colonial policies and law sought to eradicate them. During the last several centuries, huge swaths of Indigenous lands were remapped and renamed by colonial powers, usually by white men. More often than not, places were named according to the whims of surveyors, cartographers, and politicians of the day. This is in stark contrast to the deeply meaningful, personal, and often spiritual naming practices of Indigenous peoples. 

A particularly egregious, but not uncommon, example of the enthusiastic yet arbitrary approach to colonial renaming can be found in the work of the German-Canadian land surveyor Otto Klotz who mapped large parts of the Canadian West in the late 19th century. Klotz, like many of his contemporaries, believed that Indigenous peoples were subhuman and doomed to extinction. As such, he had no interest in existing place names. He named lakes in the Turtle Mountain area (in Southern Manitoba), for example, after his children, pets, and employees. He also named several mountains in British Columbia after himself, one of which is still known as Mt. Klotz. This kind of narcissistic, disrespectful, and poorly-considered renaming was very much the norm across much of Canada and other settler colonies. These place names continue to define much of the Canadian landscape. 

Naming something, putting it on record, is an act of affirmation. Ideally, that is what scholars and politicians should want to do: to put policies in place that speak to people’s experiences, to make them feel heard. Indigenous place names can represent important historical events and legal principles, such as the case with some creation stories. They can convey teachings on how to live in good relations with others and the land. As a number of Indigenous scholars have pointed out, there is a strong connection between the re-establishment of Indigenous place names and the revitalization of Indigenous languages and cultures. Naming and renaming are powerful symbolic acts that can play a role in strengthening the goals of reconciliation between settler and First Nations cultures.

Examples of Indigenous Naming at Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions 

Universities across the country are reassessing historical figures and renaming the spaces and buildings that commemorated them. With the news of 215 unmarked children’s graves at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in May 2021 and 751 unmarked graves at the Marieval Residential School in Saskatchewan a month later, and additional graves at other school sites across the country, the calls for individuals and institutions, like universities, to reevaluate Canada’s past and reconsider how we treat historical figures such as Egerton Ryerson and Sir John A. Macdonald, are growing louder. As more Canadians are learning the truth about residential schools and the harms caused by colonialism, many are asking if these are the figures we want to honour and commemorate with statues, names on buildings, and universities? 

Enhancement of the prominence and status of Indigenous cultures, knowledges, and studies on campuses is also important to boost Indigenous students’ outcomes in higher education. At the core of Indigenous naming opportunities should be making Indigenous knowledges and cultures more visible and creating opportunities for education and reconciliation. All Canadian campuses should be welcoming to Indigenous visitors and the use of Indigenous language in prominent naming is a move adopted by many post-secondary institutions to achieve just that. Many institutions may be following the example set by New Zealand for their recognition of Indigenous sovereignty stands as a shining example. The enhanced positioning of Indigenous culture is so well ingrained in the academic psyche there that every one of that country’s seven universities includes either the M-aori word ‘Aotearoa’ — being the Indigenous language name for the lands of New Zealand — or the M-aori name for the institution itself on the university’s homepage and in the university’s correspondence. Scholars write of the importance in using Indigenous language as part of the anti-imperialist struggle, and higher education providers in New Zealand are no longer seen as threatening or unwelcoming to M-aori visitors, even when populated by predominantly P-akeh-a (white New Zealander) staff. The following pages describe recent Indigenous naming examples at Canadian post-secondary institutions.

Carleton Embraces Nideyinàn as New Algonquin Name for University Centre 

In February 2023, Carleton University held a naming ceremony to celebrate and officially unveil the name Nideyinàn (pronounced nih-DAY-in-nahn), an Algonquin word meaning “our heart” that has been bestowed upon the university for the building formerly called the University Centre. The naming initiative, launched February 2021 by President Benoit-Antoine Bacon, was shaped by a recognition of the need to better reflect the university’s diversity in its academic mission and campus operations. The new name was chosen and gifted to the university by Algonquin community members, following a consultative, community-led process guided largely by the Algonquin Advisory Council. 

During a smudging ceremony, Algonquin Elder Barbara Dumont-Hill shared her reflections about the new name’s significance. “Nideyinàn will make us think about our hearts, and when we think about our hearts, we are better human beings because that’s how we feel,” said Dumont-Hill. “Our greatest listening appendage is not our ears, but our hearts. They are the engine of our bodies and make everything work well and this is what this Centre is all about. We have a lot to learn and a lot to teach.” 

President Bacon shared that the adoption of a meaningful Algonquin name for one of Carleton’s most central buildings is one way that the university is embodying an acknowledgment that the land on which the Carleton campus is located is the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin nation. “When the name was first shared with me, I was struck by its profound meaning and beauty,” he said. “For better or for worse, universities are temples of the mind and this new name will encourage us as an institution to better balance what we think in our minds with what we feel and who we are in our hearts.” 

President Bacon also affirmed the university’s commitment to live up to the new name and provide stewardship in a good way for Nideyinàn. “We will go beyond the adoption of the name itself and commit to additional activities to accompany the name,” he said. “We will infuse this space with cultural indicators and continue to be guided by the Algonquin Advisory Council and community in these efforts.” 

The naming of Nideyinàn demonstrates an important step in Carleton’s ongoing commitment to reconciliation and better relationships with Indigenous Peoples on and off campus, as outlined in the Kinàmàgawin (Learning Together) Indigenous Strategy.

University of Victoria New Building Names Honour the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations 

For many years, the Indigenous students, staff, and faculty at UVic recommended that the campus begin a process to reflect the languages of the local Nations in building names on campus. In 2017, Musqueam Elder Dr. Larry Grant led a presentation at UBC that walked through a project that lifted up the Musqueam Nation during the naming of buildings and signage, and explained what it means to have acknowledgement and recognition of the local Nation on campus in a very public space. 

Joel Lynn, Executive Director of Student Services at UVic, and his colleagues who were at the event recognized the importance of doing this work and bringing that learning to UVic for future building in response to the goals of UVic’s Campus Plan, Indigenous Plan (2017-2022) and the TRC Calls to Action (2015). 

The new Student Housing and Dining Project is the first significant capital project since the Campus Plan was renewed in 2016. Before work on the site began in summer 2019, UVic met with the UVic Elders-in-Residence to discuss the proposed project. UVic’s new student housing and dining buildings now have lək̓ʷəŋən names. The first of the new student housing and dining buildings, started in 2019 and completed in 2022, is called Čeqʷəŋín ʔéʔləŋ (Cheko’nien House), the name given to the territory that is now Oak Bay, and the Peoples who lived there. The second of these new buildings, to be completed by September 2023, is called Sŋéqə ʔéʔləŋ (Sngequ House), after a village in what is now known as Cadboro Bay. It was used for camas harvesting, trading, and cultural and spiritual practices. It means ‘snow patches.’ 

The building names will inspire critical reflections on the history of these lands and educational opportunities for the campus community. The work undertaken lays a new foundation for the future of UVic’s building naming process that recognizes the true history of where the campus is located — on lək̓ʷəŋən territory. 

Local cultural protocols were respected throughout the building process. In January 2020, Dr. Skip Dick, an Elder from the Songhees Nation, and May Sam, an Elder from the W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip Nation) were involved in a land blessing ceremony. The Office of the Vice-President Indigenous worked closely with Seniemten and linguist Andrew Cienski to accurately spell and record Seniemten speaking the lək̓ʷəŋən names. Further work was done to provide meanings and pronunciation guides and ensure that the information that had been shared orally had been captured accurately and respectfully. Respectful collaboration and meaningful consultations are at the centre of this work, and it represents a milestone in building respectful relationships and deepening trust with local Nations.

The UVic community now has the opportunity to learn the building names, where they originated from, and the significance of their meaning. Developing opportunities for all members of the UVic community to gain a better understanding of Indigenous Peoples, histories and cultures, and the impacts of colonization, is integral to the resurgence of Indigenous languages, arts, and cultures – a commitment of the university in the Strategic Plan and the Indigenous Plan. 

Indigenous Names at Totem Park 

There are 203 First Nations in British Columbia. To recognize some of these diverse communities, the first six houses at Totem Park Student Residence at the University of British Columbia were named Haida, Salish, Nootka, Dene, Kwakiutl, and Shuswap in the 1960s. While the University had good intentions, no Indigenous communities were involved in the naming process nor asked for their permission. As a result, generic anthropological terms were used, and the names Nootka, Kwakiutl, Shuswap, and Salish are inaccurate. The first three names should refer to the Nuu-chan-nulth, Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw, and Secwepemc nations, while Salish recognizes the Coast Salish peoples, a very broad category that encompasses a large number of communities across Canada and the United States rather than one specific community or place. 

The original naming process also did not recognize the fact that UBC Vancouver is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam people. In 2011, Student Housing and Community Services began working with the Musqueam Nation to name the new infill houses at Totem Park Residence and educate students about the true history of the land they are living on. Through a collaborative naming and storytelling process, Musqueam gifted the names həm̓ləsəm̓ and q̓ələχən in 2011, and the name c̓əsnaʔəm in 2017, for use at Totem Park Residence. These are three of the place names within their territory that carry important stories. 

The Musqueam-SHCS (Student Housing and Community Services) Storytelling Committee, whose members worked together to name c̓əsnaʔəm House in 2017, has been developing educational materials and opportunities for students to learn more about the land, language, culture, and history of the Musqueam people. 

Honouring the Legacy of Indigenous Peoples at Simon Fraser University 

Informed by existing Indigenous naming protocols and processes, various revitalization projects related to Indigenous naming are now underway at SFU and being steered by the Indigenous Naming Committee (INC). Sponsored by Vice-President, External Relations and led by Director, Office for Aboriginal Peoples, and Director, Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation, the INC is working alongside SFU Host Indigenous communities: xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Qayqayt, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo, and Tsawwassen peoples to increase visual presence and representation of Indigenous peoples and cultures at the university. In elevating Indigenous histories throughout SFU’s campuses, the university aims to strengthen the relationship between SFU’s Host Nations and settlers and guests by reminding the community of where they are situated. 

The INC is picking up the work grounded in Call to Action 5 of the SFU-ARC Walk this Path with Us Report: Install Aboriginal signage, place names, translations of building names and path indicators at all three campuses. The gift of an Indigenous name is grounded in reciprocity and a deep respect for Host Nations, earned through listening and learning. It is given after putting in considerable efforts to reflect on the places’ meaning and purpose. 

Maanjiwe nendamowinan: A Meaningful Name for U of T Mississauga’s Academic Building 

In 2016, William C. Buttimer left a generous bequest of $1,750,000 to U of T’s Mississauga campus to be used for capital projects. The funds helped build a new academic centre which recently received a new name that looks to both past and future. The name is an Anishinaabemowin phrase that acknowledges both the Indigenous history of the land and the future of the campus. 

A University committee reviewed name suggestions – more than 700 in total – for the new structure. An overwhelming number of submissions focused on Indigenous themes, leading to a collaboration with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) on whose traditional territory the campus now stands. Following careful consideration, MCFN recommended Maanjiwe nendamowinan (pronounced Mahn-ji-way nen-da-mow-in-ahn), a formally endorsed Anishinaabemowin name meaning “gathering of minds.” 

Indigenous Name Chosen for Newest Ontario Tech Building 

Ontario Tech University’s newest building has a name — and it’s one that reflects the school’s commitment to celebrating Indigenous culture. The new building on the north Oshawa campus has been named Shawenjigewining Hall. Shawenjigewining is an Anishinaabe word that means “the kind place.” 

The university says the idea for the name came to Rick Bourque, a traditional knowledge keeper at Ontario Tech, during sweat lodge ceremony. He had a vision of a deer and arrows crossed — the deer represents kindness and enduring friendship. Dorothy Taylor, an elder from Curve Lake First Nation interpreted the vision and the name Shawenjigewining was revealed. A traditional Indigenous naming ceremony took place and included the lighting of a sacred fire, smudging of ceremonial items and participants, a pipe ceremony, water blessing, and feast. 

The 7,432-square-metre building is home to the Faculty of Health Sciences, Office of Student Life, and Ontario Tech Student Union, as well as research labs, classrooms, and study and lounge areas. It also houses Mukwa’s Den, an Indigenous space that offers a home away from home for Indigenous students and a place to learn from Indigenous culture and resources. A plaque with the building’s name, its meaning, and a picture of a deer is permanently displayed in the front foyer. 

University of Toronto Scarborough Renames Social Science Building 

In 2021, UTSC’s Assistant Director of Indigenous Initiatives and Assistant Director of the Department of Health and Society convened a virtual discussion forum about the importance of place from an Indigenous perspective. During the session — which all U of T staff, students, and faculty were able to attend — participants were asked to contribute to the process of renaming UTSC’s Social Science Building. At the session, participants suggested themes for a name related to synergies between the building and meaningful spaces, flora and fauna, relational accountability, community and pride in place, and Mother Earth. They also suggested that the new name could represent the building as a teaching place, or that its name could honour the original inhabitants of the land that it was built upon. 

The renaming process also reflects U of T’s Reconciliation Response Report, Answering the Call: Wecheehetowin. The report was written by U of T’s Steering Committee in 2016 as a response to the challenges outlined by Canada’s 2015 Truth and Reconciliation final report. The Truth and Reconciliation final report was created to help address the legacy of residential schools in Canada and “advance the process of reconciliation.” Answering the Call: Wecheehetowin, whose title was meant to reflect the TRC Calls to Action and the necessity of U of T “building a new relationship with Indigenous communities,” outlined in its preface that the university “must face [the fact that] settler community relations with Indigenous peoples in [Canada] have never been anything other than exploitative and oppressive.” The preface also mentioned that “for the first time in history, U of T is taking the recommendations from the TRC and is “[finding] opportunities for building a genuinely new relationship between Indigenous peoples and other peoples” who share Canada. 

Each of the working groups consulted in Answering the Call: Wecheehetowin emphasized that on-campus spaces are crucial to the Indigenous experience at U of T, and that current spaces dedicated to Indigenous communities “were lacking in both number and features.” One group also emphasized the importance of physical space for Indigenous members of U of T’s community and pointed out that creating “the right environment” for such members is vital “if the University truly wishes to ensure the recruitment, retention, and flourishing of Indigenous people.” 

The report also expressed a desire for “more meaningful dedicated Indigenous spaces on all three campuses.” Working groups added that adding to existing spaces on campus was an important way “to render University space more accessible and meaningful to our Indigenous community members.” It noted that the effort to incorporate Indigenous cultures into existing spaces would “aid in the education of the U of T community as a whole about Indigenous people.” 

In an email to The Varsity, Dr. Angela Mashford-Pringle, a Timiskaming First Nation and assistant professor and associate director at U of T’s Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health, wrote, “[Changing names] in western settings like UTSC can help start conversations about the history and contemporary uses of the land. By changing the name of a building at UTSC, students may be drawn to understanding why there is a new name and how it came about. It [is] also extremely important to Indigenous students to see that they are welcome in the space.” 

Though changing the names of existing spaces to reflect Indigenous cultures is extremely important, Answering the Call: Wecheehetowin proved that U of T still has many steps to take to make the campus a more inclusive setting. Aside from its call to action involving Indigenous spaces, the report also highlighted the need for additional action regarding Indigenous faculty and staff, U of T’s Indigenous curriculum, Indigenous research ethics and community relationships, Indigenous students and co-curricular education, and institutional leadership and implementation. Such calls to action ultimately echo a message that Mashford-Pringle emphasized in her email to The Varsity: “Name changes should just be the beginning of the process of truth leading to reconciliation.” 

Newest Student Residence Honours Local Indigenous Lands, Communities and Histories 

In March 2023, Queen's University announced that the recently opened Albert Street student residence has been named Endaayaan–Tkanónsote in recognition of the region’s Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Indigenous communities, on whose traditional territory lands the university resides. Pronounced end-ah-yawn – t-gaw-noon-so-day, the new name means “home” in both Anishinaabemowin (Ojibway) and Kanyen’kéha (Mohawk). 

The name was developed over several months of consultation with Indigenous students, faculty, staff networks, and language specialists, and was approved by the university’s Board of Trustees. “This naming reflects our collective commitment to advancing decolonization and reconciliation, and specifically, a more inclusive approach to naming residences,” says Patrick Deane, Principal and Vice-Chancellor. “As we work toward building a more inclusive community, it is important that our buildings and spaces reflect the diverse cultures and histories of our students, staff and faculty.” 

The Endaayaan–Tkanónsote residence includes physical spaces that seek to advance reconciliation and decolonization as well. In October 2022, the courtyard’s Indigenous gathering space, designed by artist Tehanenia’kwè:tarons (David R. Maracle), was unveiled with an official ceremony. 

“This naming is meaningful because it signals to Indigenous students, and students thinking about Queen’s, that the campus values Indigenous histories and cultures, that we belong here, and that we are valued members of the community,” says Adrianna Lewis, a fifth year Concurrent Education student with Joint Honours in Indigenous Studies and Music, who represented the Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre on the naming working group. 

The facility’s lobby was fitted with a ‘welcome wall’ that greets students from across the world in a multitude of different languages, further strengthening the space’s inclusive and diverse significance. Educational materials have been developed to share with incoming and current students, staff, and faculty. 

University of Alberta Residences Honour Indigenous Culture and History 

In 2018, the U of A announced that two new residence buildings would be named Thelma Chalifoux Hall, in honour of the Métis activist and former Canadian senator, and Nîpisîy House, based on the Cree word for willow. Both names honour Indigenous history and the university's location on Treaty 6 territory. Student feedback from a group of residents was at the core of the months-long naming process, along with input from the rest of the campus community and a handful of engaged citizens. 

Chalifoux was born in Calgary and spent much of her life in Alberta. She was a teacher before serving as the first Métis person in the Canadian Senate from 1997 to 2004, and was always active in her community. Previously, in the late 70s, she had been the first Métis woman to serve on the U of A senate. After she retired from the Canadian Senate, she founded St. Albert's Michif Cultural Connections, an organization dedicated to Métis culture. 

Nîpisîy House, the newest building in East Campus Village, was named through consultation with elders and staff from First Peoples' House and the Faculty of Native Studies, in keeping with the convention of naming the village residences after local plants. The willow plant is used to structure sweat lodges.

New Name for Centre Serving First Nations, Métis and Inuit Students at Brock University 

In 2022, a welcoming home on campus for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students at Brock University received a new name. The unit formally known as Aboriginal Student Services was renamed as Hadiyaˀdagénhahs First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Centre. Hadiyaˀdagénhahs (pronounced “Ha-dee-ya-da-gen-hahs”) is a Cayuga word that means “they are helpers.” It was selected in consultation with Indigenous knowledge carriers and Assistant Professor of Education Stanley ‘Bobby’ Henry, a Cayuga language pedagogy researcher. Once the name was chosen, consultation was completed with the Aboriginal Education Council (AEC) in May as well as with the Two Row Council in September. 

Robyn Bourgeois, Brock’s Acting Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement, said the request for a name change was based on several factors but primarily a desire to signal transition. “Under the leadership of Director Cindy Biancaniello, we are undertaking a reconfiguration of our centre that enhances existing services and creates new opportunities,” Bourgeois said. “It was important to mark this transition with a name change, and one that reflected one of our local languages.” 

For Henry, the invitation to choose a name from the Cayuga language was particularly significant. “The Cayuga language spoken in my community is critically endangered,” he said. “The actual number of fluent speakers is unknown, but statistical data reports there are less than 50, with the majority of language speakers being second-language learners. It’s truly a hard time being a learner, speaker, and teacher of Cayuga language, for we either act now or do nothing. I seek to try and do something to preserve the vitality of our ancient, land-based language. Fortunately, I’m witnessing our people persevere Cayuga language through their ongoing commitment.” 

Biancaniello said the name change will help to make the space even more of a home for Indigenous students on campus. “One of our core values in the Hadiyaˀdagénhahs First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Centre is inclusivity,” she said. “Our goal is to enhance student engagement and create positive interactions with all students. Recognizing that we are separate nations gives First Nations, Métis and Inuit students a sense of belonging and lets them know they are valued as individuals.” 

The name change is a reflective of the University’s strategic commitment to foster a culture of inclusivity, accessibility, reconciliation, and decolonization.

Conclusion 

Educational institutions have a special responsibility to support non-Indigenous people find a way to reach under the myth of North American history; the version taught for generations cementing wrong notions of Indigenous peoples and supporting exoneration of those responsible for colonial violence. Ask a Canadian how long First Nations have been in existence and the answer will probably be "thousands of years." Only in the past forty years, however, have they been known by that name. The fact that the term has won universal acceptance in such a brief period qualifies it as a change in itself but also as something with the power to create change. 

The words we use matter, yet they undergo constant change in ways sometimes subtle, sometimes dramatic. There is power in naming, or misnaming, and in who gets to decide. Place-names are an important aspect of culture and identity as they provide a location where history, events, landscapes, relationships, and people are remembered, celebrated, and reinforced. Place names are like any historical force — they give you a mirror on society. When Indigenous peoples engage in the renaming of places, they ultimately reclaim the spaces that colonialist practices have disconnected them from. This is in line with reconcili-action. It’s part of the truth telling that often precedes what might be called meaningful reconciliation and envisioning a shared future together. Indigenous knowledge systems are located in place, so restoring and applying place names are in a sense honouring Indigenous knowledge practices and world views. All these things speak to the larger efforts of Indigenous peoples to re-assert their self-determining authority. 

Indigenous named sites have the power to open up spaces for truth-telling and conversation. Sharing names with others can help connect us to our extended family and create a sense of community. As we reflect on the past one hundred and fifty years of Canadian Confederation, it is equally important to reflect on what the next one hundred and fifty years might look like. What are the consequences of failing to look hard at our collective identity in this time of truth telling and reconciliation? At the very least, many named spaces in Canada direct us to a history of bloodshed and violence that is deeply enmeshed in our collective history — one that is shared, one that remains submerged, but one that has already required repentance, apology, and contrition. If we are serious about reconciliation, it's time to have the conversation about how we choose to identify ourselves as a collective moving forward. Let us have a dialogue about how we want to build a society worthy of celebration — not apology — one hundred and fifty years from now.

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