The history of the P.E.I. harbour at the centre of a name-change push

Katewpijk. In Mi’kmaw, it interprets as “eel lure place.” 

Likelihood is, most Islanders could not level to it on a map. That is as a result of at present, the identify on the map may be very completely different. 

“In a woke society, it is type of wonderful that there is even a dialog that is not 100-per-cent supportive of fixing the derogatory phrases corresponding to Savage Harbour,” stated Roddy Gould Jr., chief of Abegweit First Nation in central Prince Edward Island. 

As Canadians proceed to return to phrases with the legacy of colonialism, some place names are being re-examined by means of a brand new lens. 

Within the case of this P.E.I. harbour, the English language historical past is just a few hundred years outdated. 

Earlier than that, the place had French names — both Havre à l’Anguille or Havre aux Sauvages —  throughout the Island’s Acadian regime. 

However lengthy earlier than that, for hundreds of years it was a spot the place the Mi’kmaq fished eels. 

Chief Gould stated he was taught that historical past by his father and elders in the neighborhood.

Final month, he publicly requested the province change the identify of the neighborhood, which is near the Scotchfort reserve in japanese Queens County.   

“That is one thing that we traditionally knew was embarrassing,” stated Gould.

“We thought that it was at all times an insult.”

I perceive that there can be curiosity in altering the identify as a result of actually, in English, it would not convey a superb feeling.— Georges Arsenault

P.E.I. historian Reg Porter has spent many years finding out maps of the province. 

When the Acadian settlers first arrived within the 1720s, Porter stated, the Mi’kmaw identify of Katewpijk (ga-DOH-bihjk) was recorded on a number of maps, utilizing numerous spellings.

“It was at all times a Mi’kmaw place identify. It was a tremendously vital harbour on a scale which they’d use for fishing,” stated Porter. 

That identify was picked up by the Acadians as properly. The identify Havre à l’Anguille, or Eel Harbour, is recorded on not less than one map, from 1744. 

Then, towards the tip of the French regime, just some years earlier than the deportation of the Acadians from Isle Saint-Jean in 1758, a special identify appeared: Havre aux Sauvages. 

That identify was utilized by a French cartographer and in addition utilized in one French census. 

‘Does not convey a superb feeling’

P.E.I. Acadian historian Georges Arsenault interprets Havre aux Sauvages as Indian Harbour. 

“In French the phrase sauvage will not be as pejorative as in English. As an example, you’ve gotten wildflowers, which it’ll say fleurs sauvages,” he stated.

“The identify was translated into English as ‘Savage Harbour’, which does not actually convey the identical feeling as in French … I perceive that there can be curiosity in altering the identify as a result of actually, in English, it would not convey a superb feeling.”

Gould stated he respects the argument that the Acadian model of the identify got here from a non-aggressive place. 

“Nevertheless it would not change the very fact of how the phrase is decided at present,” he stated. 

“It would not change the very fact of how Sir John A. Macdonald addressed the Home of Commons and making reference to us First Nations folks as ‘savages’.” 

Place names modified earlier than

Different place names on P.E.I. have been modified earlier than, together with some adjustments on account of derogatory phrases. 

Within the early Nineties, a spot close to Stratford known as Squaw Level was modified to Alexandra Level. 

Arsenault additionally identified that some French communities on P.E.I. got English names when put up places of work first opened.

That features the neighborhood of Abram-Village within the Evangeline area.

Arsenault stated initially it had the French identify Village des Abram, however when the put up workplace was opened on the finish of the nineteenth century, it was given the identify Abram’s Village.

“After which at one level they began saying the identify in French, Abram Village. So within the Seventies, we began writing Abram-Village, with out the ‘s’ at Abram’s and placing the hyphen like we do after we hyphenate place names,” he stated.

“Altering a reputation might be tough as a result of, , it’s important to have the help of the folks of the neighborhood, which isn’t at all times simple.”

Historian Reg Porter stated place names around the globe are continually evolving. 

“They’re in all probability going to start out evolving at a way more speedy fee, now that Indigenous folks in all places wish to reclaim the id which was initially theirs, and which was taken over and even stolen by the European colonists,” stated Porter.