大象传媒

Indigenous names honour and recognize First Nations. They support the resurgence of Indigenous cultures and languages and play a vital part in reconciliation. 

However, at the opening of 大象传媒鈥檚 Burnaby campus in 1965, the Host Nations for Burnaby campus were not engaged or consulted; thus, their deep history and connection was not recognized at the time. 

In recent years, this has begun to change.

Informed by existing Indigenous naming protocols and processes, various revitalization projects related to Indigenous naming  are now underway at 大象传媒 and being steered by the Indigenous Naming Committee (INC). 

Sponsored by Vice-President, External Relations, Joanne Curry and led by Director, Office for Aboriginal Peoples Ron Johnston and Director, Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation Chris Syeta鈥�xtn Lewis, the INC is hoping to be working alongside 大象传媒 Host Indigenous communities: x史m蓹胃k史蓹y虛蓹m (Musqueam), S岣祑x瘫w煤7mesh 脷xwumixw (Squamish), s蓹l虛ilw虛蓹ta蕯涩 (Tsleil-Waututh), q虛铆c虛蓹y虛 (Katzie), k史ik史蓹茮虛蓹m (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 大象传媒鈥檚 campuses, the university aims to strengthen the relationship between 大象传媒鈥檚 Host Nations and settlers and guests by reminding the community of where they are situated.

鈥淲hen I was young and up to quite recently, we (Indigenous peoples) were invisible on our own lands,鈥� says Johnston. 鈥淣ow, we constantly verbally acknowledge and recognize our lands, but there isn't much of a presence otherwise, in terms of names. Indigenous peoples had our own names for these lands since time immemorial, but post contact these names were changed and our oral traditions and histories weren't recognized and honoured. So, what we're doing with the Indigenous naming work is reconciling the past with the present, by bringing back and honouring existing local Indigenous people and their place names and creating new ones that coincide with this important work.鈥�

The INC is picking up the work grounded in Call to Action 5 of the 大象传媒-ARC : Install Aboriginal signage, place names, translations of building names and path indicators at all three campuses.

鈥淭his is really building on what we've heard from our Indigenous communities in the  along with the , and more recently in developing the What鈥檚 Next: 大象传媒 Strategy,鈥� says Chris (Syeta鈥�xtn) Lewis.  鈥淲e are approaching this naming work as an 大象传媒 family to create safe and welcoming spaces for Indigenous peoples as they walk into an 大象传媒 campus and when they work, study and teach here. We鈥檙e creating this sense of belonging in place.鈥�

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鈥� meaning and purpose. As Lewis points out 鈥溾�f we鈥檙e being gifted a name, the university needs to identify what we are giving back to the Host Nations community(s). It鈥檚 not a one-way street.鈥�

The first phase of Indigenous Naming will follow a campus-by-campus naming approach, beginning with the Burnaby campus. Identified Host Nation representatives will hopefully join campus-specific meetings in early summer, where they will hear from various 大象传媒 family members representing the different naming projects, about the intended meanings, uses and impacts of their places. The INC will revisit other opportunities for naming following these phases, taking learnings to apply moving forward.

The vision is for each campus to eventually receive a name, the INC is inviting the university community to help inspire all three campus names and surface the unique vibrancy of 大象传媒鈥檚 three campuses, relative to one another. Input from this  will be shared with our Host Nation language experts. 

"There is deep meaning and history around traditional uses and placenames, and sometimes modern uses, of the area that was never taught at any level of education. We are taught that names don鈥檛 belong to us but belong to the land/place.  The Indigenous naming work is lifting those place-based teachings and the teachings of the land up,鈥� says Lewis. 鈥淭he work that we鈥檝e (大象传媒) has been doing internally is really ensuring that the various 大象传媒 departments and faculties and units come together as one family to call on the Host Nations and say we鈥檝e hopefully done the work and now we are asking for your help to find a name.鈥� says Lewis. 

Contribute to the reflective work of naming: What do each of 大象传媒鈥檚 campuses mean to you? .

Learn more about Indigenous Naming at 大象传媒 here.