It began with the Queen Charlotte Islands, renamed to “Haida Gwaii” by the provincial Liberal government in a reconciliation protocol between the province and the Haida people. But could other famous landmarks in the province be slated to be renamed to their original form?

The Queen Charlottes was no recent designation either. The archipelago was first visited in 1774 by Juan Perez, and later in 1778 by Captain James Cook. In 1787 the islands were surveyed by Captain George Dixon, and named after Queen Charlotte, then the wife of King George III of England. That makes the name of the islands well over 200 years old.

But before you rush to judgment in reclaiming the original native name, Haida Gwaii isn’t it either. It is a modern term invented in the 1970s as an alternative to the “colonial” name, and to recognize the Haida nation. Haida Gwaii means “islands of the people”. The real original name was “Xaadala Gwayee”, or “Xhaaidlagha Gwaayaai”, meaning “islands on the Boundary of the world.”

In effect, the renaming to Haida Gwaii was the culmination of a thought experiment begun in the 1970s that meant to reject the colonial name, historic though it may be.

Now some BC politicians are mulling over the native suggestion that Vancouver’s famous Stanley Park should be changed back to the original Squamish First Nation name of Xwayxway, meaning “place of masks.”

The first contact between Europeans explorers occurred in Stanley Park in 1791, with Spanish Captain Jose Maria Narvaez and British Captain George Vancouver, whose name went, obviously, to the city that now maintains the park.

Although the park was heavily logged by six different companies in the latter part of the 19th century, the military designation of the area saved it from land development, and in 1886 Vancouver City Council voted to petition the Canadian government to lease the land for use as a park.

The park was opened in 1888 and named after Lord Stanley, the Governor General of Canada at the time, and the first Governor General to visit British Columbia when he visited to officially dedicate the park.

According to Wikipedia:

“Lord Stanley threw his arms to the heavens, as though embracing within them the whole of one thousand acres of primeval forest, and dedicated it ‘to the use and enjoyment of peoples of all colours, creeds, and customs, for all time. I name thee, Stanley Park.’”

The suggestion that the park be renamed to Xwayxway — pronounced Kway-Kway — has found the support of Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell. B.C. Tourism Minister Kevin Kreuger said he “would happily carry forth a proposal to change the name of the park.”

Although it may sound great to some to rename landmarks in BC in order to honour the presence of First Nations people, it also obscures, and even eradicates, the historical importance of the European names associated with these places. Although the original name for Vancouver may be S’ólh Téméxw, renaming the city would be a disservice to the British Captain who explored and charted the area.

In our rush to recognize aboriginal peoples, we must not destroy the significance and importance of the Canadians and Europeans associated. They are a part of our collective history, too.

Acknowledgment: Vancity Buzz