With administrators, staff and students across the Vancouver School District continuing on the journey of reconciliation, the naming of schools is an important consideration. As the country looks toward marking National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, the District is sharing parts of its journey on that path each day this week. 

The original guidelines for naming a school drawn up in 1978, were revised several times since, most recently in June 2019. This latest revision is centred in honouring Indigenous culture and involving the Musqueam Nation.

The use of place-based names is an Indigenous practice since time immemorial. Recognizing this, the District has revised its school naming policy so that a new school is given a place-based name that is meaningful and reflects the significant geography of the area. Considering the relationship between the school itself and the land on which it sits – as well as engaging the Musqueam Nation early in the process – is critical to arriving at a meaningful name.

Dual names – in English and hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (henqeminem), the ancestral language of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) people -- are to be considered for new schools. Community understanding of the significance, history and proper pronunciation is also part of the process that includes the development of communication and education plans to support this. The community is able to offer input on a proposed dual name, and once a recommendation is developed, it is discussed at the Facilities Planning Committee through the Superintendent, and finally, goes to the Board for approval. 

Crosstown Elementary, which intersects the communities of Gastown, Chinatown and Yaletown was gifted the name “šxʷwəq̓ʷəθət” in March 2020 with a ceremony reflecting Musqueam cultural traditions. At an event commemorating the school’s dual name, šxʷwəq̓ʷəθət Crosstown Elementary, Larry Grant, a respected Musqueam Elder shared with the students meaning of the of the name. Listen to Larry Grant share the pronunciation of šxʷwəq̓ʷəθət. He explained, it can generally be translated as ‘the place from which one can catch the tide,’ saying it refers to a way Musqueam people travelled from False Creek to Burrard Inlet, catching the outgoing tide. 

The importance of honouring traditions of local First Nations cultures is also reflected in the gifting of the name Xpey’ Elementary (formerly MacDonald Elementary). Listen to Musqueam Elder Larry Grant share the  pronunciation of Xpey'. The school is home to the District’s Indigenous Focus program and was renamed in May 2018. In the Musqueam dialect of hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, Xpey' means cedar, which has cultural, educational, historical and spiritual resonance for this school's community. The name reflects deep respect for the cedar tree as it plays an integral role in the spiritual beliefs and ceremonial life of local Indigenous peoples.  

With many schools having received their names decades ago, the District continues to work on determining the process for re-naming schools, should a community feel the name of a school no longer serves it. Under the current administrative procedure, the District will consider proposals to re-name a school should the existing name be deemed to no longer serve the needs of the school population or community. A District working group is currently establishing criteria and developing a process that will guide any decision to rename a school in the future. And as the District moves forward, honouring place and Indigenous culture will be at the fore.

Read more about commemoration of the dual name, šxʷwəq̓ʷəθət Crosstown Elementary

Read more about the special ceremony to name Xpey'