52 Ways to Reconcile: How to Walk with Indigenous Peoples on the Path to Healing
Week 10 - Support the Renaming of Colonial Memorializations
from Robertson, David A. 52 Ways to Reconcile: How to Walk with Indigenous Peoples on the Path to Healing
In this chapter, Robertson turns to something many of us encounter every day without thinking twice about it: the names of our streets, schools, and public buildings. In recent years, especially following the confirmation of unmarked graves at former Indian Residential School sites, communities across Canada have begun re-examining who we choose to honour in these spaces.
He points to figures such as Egerton Ryerson, Bishop Grandin, and John A. Macdonald. All played significant roles in Canadian history. All were also connected, in different ways, to the development and implementation of the Indian Residential School System. These are not obscure names. They are names that have appeared on schools, universities, streets, and monuments for decades.
Robertson invites us to consider the difference between remembering history and memorializing someone. History belongs in textbooks and classrooms, where it can be taught with context and honesty. Memorials, on the other hand, are about honour. They signal who we value and what we choose to lift up as worthy of public recognition. Renaming a building or removing a statue does not erase history. It acknowledges it. It reflects a deeper understanding of the harm caused and respects those whose families and communities continue to carry that trauma.
He offers examples of change already underway. Bishop Grandin Boulevard in Winnipeg was renamed Abinojii Mikanah, meaning “Children’s Way,” shifting the focus from an architect of assimilation to the children who suffered. Ryerson University is now Toronto Metropolitan University. In several cases, students and young people have led the way in calling for these changes.
For Robertson, this is not about cancelling the past. It is about asking a simple but important question: Do we still want to honour this person in this way, given what we now know? Supporting renaming efforts can be one practical way to participate in reconciliation. It may mean contacting local representatives, joining community conversations, or encouraging thoughtful review of the names that shape our public spaces.
History cannot be undone. But how we choose to remember, honour, and move forward is very much within our hands.
Are there schools, streets, or public spaces in your community whose names deserve a second look, and how might you help ensure we honour history with honesty and integrity?
Want to read last weeks post, you can do so here.