A change in federal policy allowing traditional Indigenous names on passports and other travel documents is a step in the right direction, but doesn鈥檛 go far enough, says the vice-president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council.
Mariah Charleson notes that the Nuu-chah-nulth language uses special characters and letters to help with the pronunciation of words, but currently, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship sa国际传媒 can only print in the Roman alphabet, with some French accents.
鈥淚f I just tried to anglicize [the words] and write them in English or French text, it wouldn鈥檛 be the same,鈥� said Charleson. 鈥淚t wouldn鈥檛 sound the same.鈥�
Charleson said many First Nations people want to reclaim their names, and recognizing the special characters is important. 鈥淎 lot of our culture and who we are is enshrined in our language.鈥�
The move, which came into effect in June, was in response to a Truth and Reconciliation Commission call to action, which appealed to the government to allow residential school survivors and their families to use their Indigenous names on government documents.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship sa国际传媒 took it further to include travel documents, citizenship certificates and permanent resident cards, for all Indigenous peoples.
IRCC鈥檚 systems are developed in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization, which set the requirements to 鈥渉elp ensure all passports and travel documents are machine-readable,鈥� said Nancy Caron, spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship sa国际传媒.
鈥淎ll systems that handle passenger data, including personal identity information, follow the ICAO standards,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his makes sure no matter where you travel, your passport or travel document works across computer systems.鈥�
For the next five years, any Indigenous person can apply to reclaim their Indigenous names on travel documents, citizenship certificates and permanent resident cards free of charge.
鈥淪upporting First Nations, Inuit and M茅tis peoples in reclaiming and using their Indigenous names is an integral part of the shared journey of reconciliation,鈥� said Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marco Mendicino.
鈥淭raditional names are deeply connected to Indigenous languages and cultures, and an individual鈥檚 identity and dignity. This change means that Indigenous peoples can proudly reclaim their name, dismantling the legacy of colonialism and reflecting their true identity to the world.鈥�
Layla Rorick, who prefers to be called by her traditional Hesquiaht name chuutsqa, said she will not be changing her government documents.
The Hesquiaht First Nation language teacher said she worries that if all her travel documents don鈥檛 match with corresponding names, she might be denied access to cross borders.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 feel that the border service agents will be educated enough to understand why my passport would have my traditional name on it,鈥� she said.
In order to avoid any possible issues, Caron said the IRCC recommends travellers have other identification documents that match their reclaimed names.
chuutsqa received her traditional name from the late Simon Lucas when she got married in 2005. It is short for 膷uucqi艂amu蕯uq史a, which was the name of her great-great-grandmother who lived in the Hesquiaht Harbour, where her parents continue to live today.
By using it, chuutsqa said she is helping to normalize the use of traditional names.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to honour and remember the names that you鈥檙e given in your language,鈥� she said.
While chuutsqa said she thinks it鈥檚 important for First Nations people to use their traditional names every day with their families and in their communities, 鈥渦sing it to cross borders鈥� isn鈥檛 a priority for her.
鈥淚 really appreciate that [the government is] addressing a call to action,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one more step towards reconciliation 鈥� it鈥檚 just not something that holds a lot of value for me.鈥�
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission鈥檚 final report was published in December 2015. It outlined 94 calls to action to address the legacy of residential schools and to promote reconciliation in sa国际传媒.
According to IRCC, name change requests were being considered on a case-by-case basis until the formal process was established.
鈥淎 person鈥檚 name is fundamental to who they are,鈥� IRCC said in a statement. 鈥淚ndigenous names are endowed with deep cultural meaning and speak to Indigenous peoples鈥� presence on this land since time immemorial. Yet the impact of colonialism means that many Indigenous people鈥檚 names have not been recognized.鈥�
Although chuutsqa said she doesn鈥檛 intend to change her government documents, she will continue to use her traditional name every day.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a way to reconnect to what our ancestors would have called us,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd to help others feel comfortable in knowing that using our language is safe, it鈥檚 fun, it鈥檚 part of living a good life.鈥�
鈥� With files from the sa国际传媒
