Students call on Kitchener to change name of Indian Road

The students of Grand River Collegiate Institute are calling for a #StreetNameChange near their school.

The road in question is “Indian Road,” which spans just over a half a kilometre between Heritage Drive and Montcalm Drive.

“Ultimately, a name conveys an identity, is symbolic, and makes an impression,” the school said on social media on Tuesday. “Unfortunately these qualities take on a whole new meaning when a name is offensive, disrespectful, and a cause of harm to others.”

The school said the sign, and name, is related to cultural appropriation, with the name “Indian” being derogatory for First Nations people.

“It was named when we were not as educated and compassionate,” said the school. “We have to learn from our mistakes and fix them. If we keep this sign up then we are signifying that it is okay.”

The students also said nearly 2,000 students from Junior Kindergarten to grade 12 see the road on a daily basis from Grand River Collegiate, Rosemount School, and Crestview Public School, schools which exist on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Neutral Peoples. 

“…We believe that our community must make a commitment towards addressing names that are offensive to Indigenous people on whose traditional lands we learn,” said the school.

They received a swift response from the city's mayor, who thanked the students for bringing the issue forward on the same day the city announced their new Director of Equity, Anti-Racism & Indigenous Initiatives. That director will be hiring the other four members of her team next month, including the Senior Indigenous Advisor. 
 

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— Grand River (@GrandRiverSAC) May 10, 2021