Why should streets, schools, lakes, etc. be changed to FNs unintelligible names and spellings?

[blackbird]

it has become a fairly common practice in the past few years in B.C. to rename anything possible with aboriginal names that cannot be spelled with the normal alphabet and definitely cannot be pronounced by ordinary Canadians. 

One example is a public school which has been renamed C̓uumaʕas Tsuma-as Elementary School.

Loon Lake renamed ʕaʔuk ʔaama k̓anis

For example, the town of Greenville became known again as Laxgalts’ap,

The name Stawamus is the anglicized version of St’á7mes, which refers to a village site at the base of the mountain. The mountain’s names known as Siy̓ám Smanít to the Squamish, meaning Highly Respected Mountain or Smánit tl’a St’á7mes (Mountain of St’á7mes).

These changes seem to be totally blind to the real world.  Who can even begin to pronounce these bizarre spellings?  They don't meet any kind of rule of grammar or rational thinking.  They are useless because nobody can pronounce them.  It is extremely doubtful there is any aboriginal who could even pronounce such a name.

They seem to add strange shaped symbols to the spelling which are not even a part of the alphabet.  They do not meet any rules of grammar or pronunciation.  

So what is the reason for all these changes in place names?

Perhaps it is all part of the pushback against the colonials for being here.  Perhaps part of an effort to claim vast areas of land that never even occupied to begin with and demand endless compensation from non-natives for even being here.  

Edited October 10, 2025 by blackbird

[West]

Its to strip white people of their heritage and steal their resources. The Marxist propagandists are sick people

[herbie]

To strip[ racists of their infantile belief of their own superiority.

And to keep the city people away

[Nefarious Banana]

You folks are being had !

It's the 'Indian way' of making fun of you.

We can't pronounce those names ourselves,

or spell them the same way twice.

Smile when you try . . . others are laughing at you.

[eyeball]

A little respect. How hard can it be?

[eyeball]

6 minutes ago, Nefarious Banana said:

You folks are being had !

It's the 'Indian way' of making fun of you.

We can't pronounce those names ourselves,

or spell them the same way twice.

Smile when you try . . . others are laughing at you.

I still recall old-timers talking on the radio out fishing in their old language. It sounded like Klingon.

[blackbird]

16 hours ago, herbie said:

To strip[ racists of their infantile belief of their own superiority.

And to keep the city people away

Didn't European white man bring an educated, cultured, and civilized way of life to an uncivilized, barbaric people? 

Or must we stick with the lying liberal, woke narrative that aboriginal culture is superior and we are the uncivilized invaders?

Be honest now.  Do you prefer lies to truth?

Do you think all residential schools were really as bad as many red power people claim?  Or did they help teach aboriginal children the more civilized ways of the settlers?  

Certainly the res schools taught how to speak and write in English.  That must be a basic requirement to get many jobs in the new world.   What future was there for aboriginal children on reserves?  Off reserves, what future was there without giving them an education?

Edited October 11, 2025 by blackbird

[Michael Hardner]

15 hours ago, eyeball said:

I still recall old-timers talking on the radio out fishing in their old language. It sounded like Klingon.

In Ontario, we have an old town named for an ancient Warrior. It's called Brantford.

[blackbird]

10 minutes ago, Michael Hardner said:

In Ontario, we have an old town named for an ancient Warrior. It's called Brantford.

Interesting history behind the name Brantford.  Glad you mentioned it.

"Brantford is situated on the Haldimand Tract,^[8][9] and is named after Joseph Brant, a Mohawk leader, soldier, farmer and slave owner.^[10] Brant was an important Loyalist leader during the American Revolutionary War and later, "

Notice he was a Loyalist leader for the British in the American revolution.  His name is a European name.

[Legato]

22 minutes ago, Michael Hardner said:

In Ontario, we have an old town named for an ancient Warrior. It's called Brantford.

Did he speak Punjabi?

[LinkSoul60]

15 minutes ago, Legato said:

Did he speak Punjabi?

You're either immature or a racist...  Which is it?   I'm saying both, but curious how you view yourself.

[Legato]

8 minutes ago, LinkSoul60 said:

You're either immature or a racist...  Which is it?   I'm saying both, but curious how you view yourself.

Keep on dreaming sunshine. You ever been to Brantford?

[LinkSoul60]

12 minutes ago, Legato said:

Keep on dreaming sunshine. You ever been to Brantford?

Many years ago yes. I used to be very familiar with Southern Ontario.

So, immature, a racist, or both?

[Legato]

1 hour ago, LinkSoul60 said:

Many years ago yes. I used to be very familiar with Southern Ontario.

So, immature, a racist, or both?

Just pointing out the obvious.

Racist, only to be used when nothing else comes to weak minds.

[herbie]

2 hours ago, blackbird said:

Didn't European white man bring an educated, cultured, and civilized way of life to an uncivilized, barbaric people? 

WTF has that got to do with anything? WTF complaining about which names instead of 1,2,3 St and 4,5,6 Ave?
You elect the people who decide street names, you can go to council meets and voice your thoughts there.

Shit, they just renamed our Hospital and nobody uses that name. Except for the brainless govt employees that can't enter HOSPITAL and NAME OF TOWN in the goddam computer search field (and believe me, I've encountered a couple of those m0rons on the phone)

[LinkSoul60]

48 minutes ago, Legato said:

Just pointing out the obvious.

Racist, only to be used when nothing else comes to weak minds.

The obvious to Michael's comment of Brantford being named after an ancient indigenous warrior is... 'did he speak Punjabi'?  Deflect all you want...  the only obvious was that it was an immature and racist comment.

 

Edited October 11, 2025 by LinkSoul60

[herbie]

18 hours ago, eyeball said:

It sounded like Klingon.

Yeah and the parents of half the kids in my school talking in the 1960s was like that. And so they thought of my grandparents talking. 
But you chose a bad reference. Klingon is a made up language meant to sound alien. Native tongues have been spoken for thousands of years.

Hell we still use Chinook words out west, from the old blended trading language. And even the country and half what's in it is made up of Anglicized native words.

[Venandi]

2 hours ago, LinkSoul60 said:

You're either immature or a racist...  Which is it?   

The 919 operator doesn't care... this serves as an additional level of complexity during stressful periods when people aren't at their best and response times are dog shi%.

If cell phones hadn't been invented it might be OK, but lot's of people don't have hardline phones now so it could be a problem if your dinner guest needs to call you an ambulance at 1525 West ʕaʔuk ʔaama k̓anis Street. 

Chew thoroughly before swallowing...

 

Edited October 11, 2025 by Venandi

[LinkSoul60]

1 minute ago, Venandi said:

The 919 operator doesn't care which one you are... it just serves as an additional level of complexity during stressful periods when people aren't at their best.

If cell phones hadn't been invented it might be OK, but lot's of people don't have hardline phones now. This could be a problem if your dinner guest needs to call you an ambulance at 1525 West ʕaʔuk ʔaama k̓anis Street. 

Chew thoroughly before swallowing...  

 

What exactly does Brantford being named after an ancient indigenous warrior and an immature and racist comment of "did he speak Punjabi'? have to do with an operator call?

Think before you talk...

[Venandi]

9 minutes ago, LinkSoul60 said:

Think before you talk...

Think before you type... When minutes count, getting the address right is pretty important.

I drove ambulances back in the day, you might be surprised at how many Maple streets there are. That's not a good idea either IMO but expecting people to call in a parking lot at C̓uumaʕas Tsuma-as on West ʕaʔuk ʔaama k̓anis Street is even worse. 

But you do you though... and be sure to be rude to the dispatcher when you call, looks like you have that part down already.

Edited October 11, 2025 by Venandi

[Nefarious Banana]

2 minutes ago, LinkSoul60 said:

What exactly does Brantford being named after an ancient indigenous warrior and an immature and racist comment of "did he speak Punjabi'? have to do with an operator call?

Think before you talk...

You take yourself very seriously while others just hide their grins while reading your posts.  Since you've lit your hair on fire so many times, perhaps a toupee from a moose nose would make you feel better about yourself.  The nostrins would look like twin hood scoops . . . 

[Venandi]

10 minutes ago, Nefarious Banana said:

You take yourself very seriously while others just hide their grins while reading your posts.  Since you've lit your hair on fire so many times, perhaps a toupee from a moose nose would make you feel better about yourself.  The nostrins would look like twin hood scoops . . . 

Congrats on the down vote. 

1234 Flybaby Cresent looks like this in Japanese.

フライベイビー・クレセント1234

You could always walk to the end of the street, take a picture of the sign and then text it to the dispatcher... pssst walk slowly.

 

[LinkSoul60]

6 minutes ago, Venandi said:

Think before you type... When minutes count, getting the address right is pretty important.

I drove ambulances back in the day, you might be surprised at how many Maple streets there are. That's not a good idea either IMO but expecting people to call in a parking lot at C̓uumaʕas Tsuma-as on West ʕaʔuk ʔaama k̓anis Street is even worse. 

But you do you though... and be sure to be rude to the dispatcher when you call, looks like you have that part down already.

Venandi... that isn't the 'conversation' I had with him. Not even close to it...

To speak to your comments though...  I don't disagree that most would have trouble correctly pronouncing many indigenous names, me included, so I understand what you're saying.  But, we have bilingual signs today in English and French.  Why not the same (if that's practical?) for indigenous street names.

[LinkSoul60]

16 minutes ago, Nefarious Banana said:

You take yourself very seriously while others just hide their grins while reading your posts.  Since you've lit your hair on fire so many times, perhaps a toupee from a moose nose would make you feel better about yourself.  The nostrins would look like twin hood scoops . . . 

So whatever that nonsense of moose and nostrils has to do with anything.....  point out what an indigenous name has to do with the Punjabi language.  Lift your nostrils, hold your breath and try real hard to come up with something that makes sense...

[Legato]

40 minutes ago, LinkSoul60 said:

The obvious to Michael's comment of Brantford being named after an ancient indigenous warrior is... 'did he speak Punjabi'?  Deflect all you want...  the only obvious was that it was an immature and racist comment.

 

Not surprising that my comment made a whooshing sound over your head.

Mike was tongue in cheek with his comment, same as my reply, indigenous language in Brantford is as much Punjabi as Anishinaabemowin.

The fact that you see this as racist speaks volumes.