What’s In a Name?

Pulling off Highway 1 onto a wooded road dappled by sunlight penetrating the surrounding trees, I was both excited and anxious as my wife and I headed to the new Tsow-tun Le Lum healing house in Cowichan Tribes territory. Excited because of the privilege and honour to attend and witness the passing of a chieftainship and chiefly names to Derek Thompson – Thlaapkiituup from his father Charlie Thompson – Bookwilla / Suhiltun. Anxiety from the fact that I had no idea about what the day would entail, what to expect and how to behave. I worried that my lack of understanding could lead to some inadvertent offense(s). The following are some impressions about the day, and reflections and perspectives arising from it that continue still.

It was an amazing day, brimming with positivity, warmth and good humour. It was also a day filled with dance, song, words and cultural symbols, including a large curtain that displayed Derek’s family story extending across the front of the room. It truly felt like a door had been opened to provide a glimpse into a deep and rich culture that lay behind the ceremony we witnessed.

It struck me then, and afterward, that this richness and its duration over many generations, as well as the diversity of Indigenous cultures that exist, is something the majority of non-Indigenous Canadians (Settlers) may not be aware of. I am a good example.

As a boy and adolescent growing up on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil- Waututh) peoples, I attended school with a number of children and adolescents from Musqueam. There was something different about the young people from the “reserve.” We were told and heard that they and their families were “troubled” in a number of ways, but I didn’t know what that really meant or why.

Later, as a young adult, I became fascinated by the elegant and beautiful art of coastal First Nations peoples that is so well illustrated by the silver bracelet Derek received from his paternal grandfather, Joe David- Kakawiinchiilth, and that was created by his late paternal uncle, Art Thompson- Tsaqwasuup. But, I never took time to try to learn more, to my discredit, even with the release of the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996), Prime Minister Harper’s formal apology for the Indian Residential School system in Canada (2008), the multi-year Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and others until much, much later in life.

Settlers, like me, need to learn more. Not only the histories, cultures, worldviews, traditions and inherent rights of Indigenous peoples, but also the painful truths about how we got here. Awareness and understanding are a critical start to building respectful relationships and these relationships are a key requirement for moving forward to a better place.

Who are you? And where are you from?

Who are you? And where are you from? Answers to these questions were repeated by each and every speaker throughout the day before they gave remarks. It was more than simply stating their name, in some cases a traditional name, and their nation. With their words they also indicated relations on both maternal and paternal sides of their family, often including grandparents and great-grandparents, which clarified their family connections to everyone present.

I wasn’t really surprised about this, because in some of my first meetings and conversations with Derek, he shared that these were questions his [paternal] great-grandmother always asked of him when he was young and, of course, I had heard a number of times before at the outset of meetings. By revealing connections across the intersecting web of family, ancestor and nation, the answers provided insights and appreciation into who the speaker was and importantly what their familial relationships were, how they related to others in attendance, and where their perspectives might be coming from. This grounding of the personal provides an important foundation for whatever discussion or interaction may occur and I believe it’s something that we as Settlers should be sure to do as well whenever the opportunity arises.

Relationship to land

Another very significant aspect arising from answers to those questions was relationship to the land upon which the ceremony was taking place. Speakers acknowledged the territory with great sincerity and gave thanks for the welcome they had received at the outset of the ceremony if they weren’t a member of Cowichan Tribes First Nation.

So, I sat there as a third-generation Settler of Welsh and English ancestry thinking about my relationship to the land on that day as well as the land where I’ve lived, worked and played most of my life.

The vast majority of British Columbia is unceded First Nations’ territory, meaning title to the land has never been surrendered by treaty or otherwise. Settlers are privileged to live on these lands as uninvited guests. This privilege has come at a great cost to First Nations and other Indigenous peoples because of Canada’s colonial past and present, and the ongoing impacts and harms that are part of it. Notably, the ceremony was held on Cowichan Tribes Reserve land, which represents less than one per cent of the area of their traditional unceded territory. This reality clearly demonstrates the extent of what’s been taken from them.

Land acknowledgements at UBC also came to mind. That they are being done is a good thing. However, they are often now seemingly performed rather quickly as part of an agenda without full consideration of why they are actually being done and the truths behind them. Often one hears, for instance, reference to stewardship of the lands by the First Nation whose territory is being acknowledged. While this was true for the many generations before contact with Europeans, afterward and with relegation of First Nation peoples to reserve lands, stewardship was no longer possible across their traditional territories.

Enduring and connecting through generations

Witnessing Derek recognized as Hereditary Chief or Čaabať for his family and community and receiving two traditional, ancestral chiefly names, Bookwilla from diitiidʔaaʔtx̣ – Ditidaht First Nation and Suhiltun from Cowichan Tribes First Nation, was a truly memorable experience and the memories of that day will stay with me forever. This is a great honour for Derek, whose names delineate clearly who he is, where he comes from, and what connections he has with others, including ancestors. I understand the names also come with significant responsibilities for him with respect to the wellness and prosperity of his family and community. Derek’s commitment, wisdom, skills of communication, and generosity of time, spirit, and mind will undoubtedly help make this a reality.

I realized afterward that attending the ceremony was special for another reason as well. Naming ceremonies, like others, were discouraged or outlawed and traditional ancestral First Nation names were replaced and not to be used, all as part of Canada’s attempt to eradicate Indigenous cultures and assimilate Indigenous peoples. Fortunately, the attempt did not succeed with First Nations on a journey of reclaiming their traditional names and using them outwardly.

The giving of gifts is a common part of First Nations’ ceremonies. While gifts were being distributed, Derek came up to me and said, “This is for your grandson,” who is our first grandchild and was about seven months old at the time. I was deeply moved by this generous gift and will always remember that moment. Derek gave Callum a striking print entitled, A Code to Live and Die By (illustrated above) created by his brother Darren Thompson – Chuuchuub.

The idea or message represented by the print is that “We come from one root.” Notably, this idea is similar to nə́ c̓ aʔmat ct, a phrase often conveyed by Elders from Musqueam, which can be roughly translated to “we are all one.” What an important concept to reflect upon as we consider truth, (re)conciliation and redress.

I look forward to bringing the print to Callum and discussing the idea represented by the art with him when he is old enough. I am hopeful that he sees the reality I see in it and that he will be more proactive than his “Poppa” in learning and trying to come to terms with what we must in order to move forward to create a better future, together.

Dr. Mike Allard is a professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and former Vice-Dean, Health Engagement at the UBC Faculty of Medicine.

The views expressed here are those of the author and don’t necessarily reflect those of the UBC Faculty of Medicine.