Latest news with #MusqueamNation
CTV News
a day ago
- Sport
- CTV News
B.C., Vancouver, First Nations sign deal to partner in planning, hosting World Cup
B.C. Premier David Eby, centre, Musqueam Nation Chief Wayne Sparrow, right, and Squamish Nation councillor Wilson Williams, left, sign soccer balls after announcing a memorandum of understanding regarding hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, in Vancouver, on Friday, June 27, 2025. The MOU between the provincial government, city and the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations sets out a framework on how they will all work together to plan, stage and host matches, while ensuring interests of the nations are reflected. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press)
National Post
19-06-2025
- General
- National Post
Jamie Sarkonak: Vancouver renaming street 'šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm' puts people at risk
The City of Vancouver describes its new name for Trutch Street, 'šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street,' as a gift, but it's more like a curse. Article content On Tuesday, city council unanimously voted for the change, condemning 100 or so residents to a lifetime of addressarial grief. Joining them in suffering will be countless drivers who make their way down the route, delivering, visiting and otherwise trying to get from A to B. Article content Article content The new name means 'Musqueamview' in Musqueam, but the city itself admits that nobody is likely to be able to read it in its letter-salad form: 'With no fluent speakers left, this street name is a landmark moment for hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ revitalization,' notes a webpage about the change. (That word beginning in 'h' refers to the Musqueam's traditional language.) It will replace the name of Joseph Trutch (1826-1904), B.C.'s first Lieutenant Governor who, among other things, reduced the sizes of Indigenous reserves and denied the existence of some earlier treaties. Article content Article content That remark by the city contained an important admission: the purpose of changing the name of pronounceable Trutch Street into something indecipherable at 40 km/h is political. The goal is to involve the local population in a moral exercise at the cost of their comfort and safety. Indeed, not even the Musqueam (who insisted on this visual obstacle course, according to Deputy City Manager Armin Amrolia) are going to be capable of reading it. Beyond signalling solidarity against colonialism, impeding the passage of Vancouverites and offending the local Squamish Nation, it's a functionally useless sign. Article content Article content Emergency services have already expressed their concerns that the new name will get in the way of saving lives, largely because 911 callers might not be able to pronounce the name. Most people haven't learned linguistics to the point where they can pronounce Indigenous mainstays like the theta symbol, the tiny W, the 7 and the triangle. 'Help, I'm at Sixwomkeymasem Street' is the most we can reasonably expect from people. Article content Article content To address these concerns, the city has suggested a second set of unofficial signs that read 'Musqueamview St.' (though it's unclear whether that solution has been finalized). Emergency mapping systems will use the unofficial English name, but it won't appear in the bylaw, which will use the official name instead. Licenses will have to be redone, as will insurance and registration slips. Then, there are land titles, bank addresses, credit cards, etc. Article content Anyone sending or receiving mail by Canada Post is asked to write both official and unofficial street names if possible, but to use English if only one line is available (work is being done to accept these new letters, but 'most non-English lettering is not currently recognized' our letter service told me in an email this week). Other internal and external address and map systems — such as transit or B.C.'s insurance corporation — might be unable to digest these characters.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Welcome to šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street: Vancouver's newest street name is also its first using alphabet other than English
Vancouver's newest street name is set to be the city's first officially named in an alphabet other than English: šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street. The new name, which comes from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language of the Musqueam First Nation, will replace Trutch Street on Vancouver's West Side if city council approves a staff report at a meeting next week. The report says the Musqueam First Nation has long advocated for removing the name of B.C.'s first lieutenant-governor, Joseph Trutch, from the street as a way to 'acknowledge Trutch's racist legacy, reduce the prominence of his name, and advance reconciliation efforts.' Trutch denied the existence of Inidegnous rights and reduced the size of reserve lands, the city website says, and the politician is now 'acknowledged as being openly racist and hostile to First Nation Peoples.' In July 2021, Vancouver's then-mayor Kennedy Stewart proposed removing the Trutch name and choosing another picked by the Musqueam chief and council, a move that was unanimously supported by council. In September 2022, the Musqueam Nation, or xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, provided the name 'šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street,' which translated into English as 'Musqueamview Street.' Some Vancouver neighbourhoods, including Chinatown and the Punjabi Market, have street signs featuring other languages along with the official street name, such as Pender or Main Street. The difference in the new proposal would be that šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm will be the street's sole official name. 'In accordance with xʷməθkʷəy̓əm wishes, the legal name of the street will be solely šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street, making this Vancouver's first street named in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓,' the city report says. 'With no fluent speakers left, this change is a landmark moment for the revitalization of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm language, weaving the display of hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ into the public fabric of city life.' Because this is the first Vancouver street named in an alphabet other than English, the city requested input from several entities, including the city's legal department, Vancouver Police Department, Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, B.C. Emergency Health Services, and others. Emergency service providers raised concerns about 'way-finding and ease of pronunciation for callers in distress on the street,' the report states. To address these concerns, city staff recommended posting two street signs on each post along the street, one with 'šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm St.' and another below with 'Musqueamview St.' In 2022, the City of Victoria also changed all of its Trutch Street signs to Su'it Street, which means 'truth' for the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations. If council approves the staff report next week, the new šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street signs are scheduled to be officially revealed at an event on June 20 at St. James Community Square. dfumano@ Trutch Street signs remain in Vancouver almost four years after decolonization vote Vancouver and Victoria councils to consider renaming Trutch Street in their cities
Hamilton Spectator
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Squamish and Musqueam Nation youth athletes win provincial sport awards
A group of young athletes will soon have their name and photo shine in the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame. Three athletes from the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and one from xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nation are among the 10 recipients of the 2024 Premier's Award for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sport announced Tuesday. The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (I-SPARC) announced the awards, which has been running since 2015. Athletes 25 and under are recognized for their outstanding achievements in sport but also demonstrating a commitment to education, culture and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Box lacrosse player Logan Mellish from Squamish Nation, softball and volleyball athlete Sophie Campo and hockey star Wyatt Blace from Squamish Nation and synchronized figure skater Summer Cannell from Musqueam Nation are on this year's list. 'Thank you so much for selecting me as one of the top 10 recipients for the primary provincial awards for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sports,' Mellish said in a video recognizing this year's winners . 'I want to thank my coaches for their belief in me and sharing their dedication and knowledge to help me become a better athlete.' Mellish led the Coquitlam Junior Adanacs to a first-place finish last season, taking home the Minto Cup in 2024 . He is also a role model in his community, the video said, volunteering with a non-profit helping children with disabilities learn lacrosse while also taking Indigenous youth out fishing and teaching harvesting traditions. Campo's team achieved gold at the BC Softball Championship and placed fifth at the Western Canadian Softball Championship. On top of her pitching and batting talents, she also led her school's volleyball team to gold at the South Vancouver Island Championship. 'This award is such an honour, and I would like to thank my loved ones, coaches, teammates and everyone who has supported me and helping me reach my goals,' Campo said. The award is also a high tribute for Blace, who has achieved a lot in his hockey career already. Blace plays on the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, has made BCHL's top prospects game and will soon shoot pucks for ivy league Dartmouth College in the U.S. Figure skater Cannell also holds an impressive record on the ice. The Musqueam Nation member is the captain of the BC Junior Synchronized Skating Team, leading the squad to a win at the West Coast Challenge and top prize at the Mountain Regionals. She also landed seventh place in the Canadian National Skating Championships where she competed against some of the best skaters across the country. 'As a proud Musqueam figure skater, it's an honour to share my journey and celebrate this special moment with all of you,' Cannell said, adding thanks to her family, coaches, teammates and her community for their encouragement and guidance. 'I'm excited for what the future brings, not only for myself, but for the growing presence of Indigenous athletes in all world competition,' she said. 'Thank you I-SPARC for this honour, it's a milestone in my athletic career.' In March, I-SPARC announced the 32 regional finalists for the awards . The awards have created a legacy for outstanding athletes, a press release from I-SPARC said, with many past recipients earning university scholarships, playing on professional sports leagues, and competing with Canadian national teams and at the Olympics. All 10 provincial recipients will receive a $500 bursary and a framed limited-edition print of the award from First Nations artist Carey Newman, plus their photo and biography will be on display inside the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in downtown Vancouver. 'Congratulations to the 10 exceptional athletes and leaders who are taking home a Premier's Award for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sport,' said B.C. Premier David Eby in a press release. 'Your commitment to your sport, your studies and your culture is truly inspiring. I wish each of you every success as you continue to pursue your goals on and off the field of play while proudly representing your community.' To see the full list and video ceremony honouring the recipients, check out I-SPARC's website . Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative .
National Post
12-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Josh Dehaas: There's no denying land acknowledgements are political
Article content Last month, with the assistance of the Canadian Constitution Foundation, a group of University of British Columbia professors and a former student filed a lawsuit asking the B.C. Supreme Court to protect academic freedom by ordering the university administration to stop breaching its statutory duty to remain non-political: No more requiring fealty to DEI ideology from job applicants. No more statements about the Israel-Gaza war. No more land acknowledgements by the administration in academic settings where academic freedom is impinged. Article content Article content There's been little pushback to our claims that DEI purity tests or Israel-Gaza statements contravene B.C.'s University Act requirement that the public university's administration remain non-political. The criticism of our claim that land acknowledgements are political has been substantial. One critic is UBC assistant professor Scott Franks, who argued in an op-ed in the Globe and Mail that, rather than being political in nature, 'land acknowledgments are statements of legal fact.' Franks offers an example: it's a 'legal fact,' he says, that the land that UBC Vancouver sits on is 'unceded and that the Musqueam Nation retains title to those lands.' Article content Article content It's difficult to understand how the assertion that UBC is on 'unceded' Musqueam territory, to which they have title, is anything other than political. There is no court decision that says the Musqueam possess title to those lands. That includes Aboriginal title, which is the communal right to use land that courts have found in small parts of B.C., where First Nations have lived continuously and with the ability to exclude others since the Crown assertion of sovereignty. Article content Article content Franks writes that former Supreme Court chief justice Brian Dickson rejected in the 1984 decision Guerin v The Queen 'the idea that Indigenous peoples' rights were discretionary and political when he found that the Crown owed legal obligations to the Musqueam Nation when it assumed control over the nation's lands.' But Guerin was not about the UBC lands; it was about former reserve lands nearby. Franks may argue that because the Musqueam once used the land that UBC sits on and never 'ceded' it via treaty, that they retain some form of title (the Tsleil-Waututh make similar claims to the same lands). Right or wrong, that's political. To understand why, consider the B.C. Human Rights Tribunals' jurisprudence on what counts as 'political,' developed in the context of political discrimination claims. Article content Article content In the 1994 decision Jamieson v. Victoria Native Friendship Centre, the tribunal found that the Friendship Centre had discriminated against a prospective employee, Jamieson, for his political beliefs asserted in connection with his membership in the Mohawk Warrior Society. The tribunal found that the beliefs in question were political because they concerned 'the way First Nations communities are organized and governed and how these communities relate to each other and to other levels of government.' Claims that UBC is on 'unceded' land, and that the Musqueam have title, are similarly about how the First Nation community relates to the B.C. government. Whether those claims are right or wrong (we take no position), they are political.
