Tonight, Duncan City Council will hear from a delegation requesting the inclusion of Hul’q’umi’num names on signage in the downtown area.
A delegation will show council a documentary about how these names highlight the history of the Cowichan Valley.
Canada Avenue, Government Street, Station Street, First, Second, Third, and Fourth Streets are the focus of the proposal.
Here’s a list of the existing streets and their proposed Hul’q’umi’num names:
Canada Avenue – Q’lhan (Ahead Of)
Government Street – St s’hwulmuhw (First People)
Station Street – Liloot (Train)
First Street – Yewen (First)
Second Street – Sxwuts’ts’ulii (Hummingbird)
Third Street – Smuyuqw’a (Ladybug)
Fourth Street – Thuthiqut (Forest)
The documentary shares what these signs would mean to local Cowichan Tribes members.
“Let me see now, it would make me walk proud,” said Cowichan Tribes Elder, Merle Seymour.
“To see Hul’q’umi’num seven names out there in the community, in Hul’q’umi’num, says a lot,” said Elder Lucy Thomas. “They want to recognize us and start working together, it just gets me excited to think about it. It’s history in the making.”
The meeting starts at 6 pm tonight and you can access the livestream here.
