When the City of Victoria launched a campaign last year to name the new library branch in James Bay, it quickly became apparent there was strong public sentiment in favour of honouring local First Nations.
Of the 493 submissions that suggested something a little more creative than “James Bay Branch,” 157 favoured an Indigenous name.
In the end, city council consulted with the Songhees and Esquimalt nations and selected the Lekwungen word for the James Bay area — sxʷeŋ’xʷəŋ taŋ’exw, pronounced s-hweng hw-ung tongue-oo-hw.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said Wednesday that it was a fitting choice following the city’s year of reconciliation and its efforts to deepen ties with the Songhees and Esquimalt people.
“The chiefs were very honoured and, I think, surprised about the level of support in the community … for a Lekwungen name,” she said.
“So I think what it says is that Victorians as a whole embrace the notion of reconciliation.”
Songhees Chief Ron Sam could not be reached for an interview, but issued a statement endorsing the name.
“In the Lekwungen language, sxʷeŋ’xʷəŋ taŋ’exw is how our ancestors knew the land now called James Bay,” he said. “I welcome the recognition of that history by the City of Victoria as it names the new James Bay library the sxʷeŋ’xʷəŋ taŋ’exwbranch.”
The city also named one of the library’s two meeting rooms after Songhees elder Elmer Seniemten George for his efforts to protect the Lekwungen language.
Esquimalt Chief Andy Thomas said it was a “great gesture” to recognize George, whose name was submitted jointly by the two First Nations.
“I think sometimes people wait for someone to pass away first before they dedicate a building and I think he would be honoured,” Thomas said in a statement. “Doing this while Elmer is still alive is a sign of respect and acknowledges his work keeping our language alive.”
The other meeting room was named for former James Bay resident Mifflin Wistar Gibbs, who, in 1866, became the first black person elected to public office in B.C. when he won a seat on Victoria city council. His name was submitted by, among others, the B.C. Black History Awareness Society.
The sxʷeŋ’xʷəŋ taŋ’exwJames Bay Branch, which will open in early spring, is the 12th in the Greater Victoria Public Library system and the first to receive a First Nations name.
Helps said council received an audio file last week of George demonstrating how to say the name.
“It’s going to take a while to get use to pronouncing it, but when you listen to Elmer George over and over — which I’ve done to practice — it’s actually not that hard,” she said
“But that’s part of reconciliation. Naming is part of reconciliation. Learning each other’s languages and cultures is part of reconciliation.”
