Editor’s note: This letter was sent to the District of 撸奶社区and copied to The 撸奶社区.
I feel for the 撸奶社区Nation—as I feel for Indigenous people everywhere—for the many ways in which they were harmed in the past at the hands of the colonial powers. I think I also understand the hurt they must feel at being confronted in today’s environment by names of streets and towns and rivers and mountains that unavoidably remind them of those unpleasant historical events.
But historical events they are, and no amount of name changing is going to erase them. Sure, remove the names and many of us, Indigenous or non-Indigenous, will in time forget that these events ever happened. But is that a good thing? Do we really want future generations to go through life ignorant of the past—of what, in effect, made us what we are? (And, let’s face it, the list of—for some—undesirable names is long, and includes Vancouver, Fraser River, Juan de Fuca, Victoria, Prince George and many others, including, of course, Mout Garibaldi as well as British Columbia itself, all of which in a very real sense define our province.)
Having said this, I personally, would welcome seeing existing names accompanying Indigenous names. That would actually enrich our sense of history. So by all means, dear mayor and council members, go for it. Just please!—don’t cancel the names we have all lived with for as long as we have been in this province. And as for Mount Garibaldi, by getting rid of it you would simply make an awful lot Garibaldi hikers unhappy, which would really not be in keeping with the spirit of reconciliation, nor would it be a nice thing to do to those who see in Garibaldi a very interesting and positive historical figure.
Ermes Culos
Garibaldi hiker
