Iroquois Ridge High School will undergo a name change after the Halton District School Board concluded that the term Iroquois is harmful to the Indigenous community.
Read more here: Renaming an Oakville high school comes with a price of $250,000
Following the approval of the motion to rename, some members of the community took to social media to express their outrage and opposition to the decision.
Many Oakville residents argued via Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) that the proposed name change overlooks the historical significance of the term "Iroquois" and fails to acknowledge the school's connection to the local community.
In addition, the price of $250,000 was widely referred to as an “utter waste of taxpayer money.”
Others suggested that a complaint from only one individual, who remained anonymous, wasn’t sufficient evidence for the board to decide that the Indigenous community felt threatened by the name.
As far as the public is concerned, the decision appears to have been made without sufficient consultation and consideration of alternative viewpoints. Based on hundreds of comments made on social media, many feel that the process lacked transparency and failed to adequately address the concerns of all stakeholders involved.
With the board facing a $7.7 million deficit and potential cuts to special education announced just the day before, questions have arisen regarding the prioritization of expenditures.
As a result, a petition titled “STOP ERASING HISTORY, SAVE IROQUOIS RIDGE” and has collected 1300 signatures within two days.
The petition says, “Abruptly, without consultation with the students, parents, the urban Indigenous community, or our local community members, the Halton District School Board announced this historical schools [sic] name would be changed due to an anonymous letter and opinion ‘the word “Iroquois” was a derogatory term’.”
"We honour the name Iroquois Ridge as it reminds us of the sacrifices and resiliency of all Indigenous people and the connection to this beautiful land we call home."
"Through the principles of reconciliation, it is our collective community responsibility to ensure impactful changes as such require joint leadership, trust-building, accountability, and transparency. Our community does not believe these principles were practiced in this charge."
Consultation is an important element in situations like this, said Angela Bellegarde, Founder of Tâpwêwin Indigenous Insights Inc.
“Anything that has an Indigenous name, reference, or otherwise should always be done so with the appropriate Indigenous groups input and consent,” she said, in an email to Oakville News.
“In this case, the Haudenosaunee need to be part of decision making. Moreover, Oakville is on the Treaty lands held with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nations. Perhaps the town needs to consider a robust consultation with many Indigenous peoples of this territory.”
A big concern for some is what renaming Iroquois Ridge High School would mean to other locations across town that possess the same name. The most obvious is the town’s nearby community centre.
In response to questions from Oakville News, a spokesperson for the town
sent the following email reply: “While the town does not currently have a protocol relating specifically to renaming facilities, work to review the town's policy on naming facilities, streets and parks will be undertaken through the forthcoming Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Multi-Year Plan.”
The following links to renaming procedures for parks and roads in Oakville were provided: