Community meets to mull name change for Winnipeg neighbourhood, discuss Wolseley's colonial history

A Mtisorganization held a rendezvous on Sunday to further their campaignaimed atexposing the colonial history of a central Winnipegneighbourhood name.

All summer,the Red River Echoes hasengaged in an education campaign around Wolseley highlightingwhat has been called the "reign of terror"against the Mtisthat followedCol. Garnet Wolseley's1870 campaign.

A rendezvous is a way Mtispeople have traditionally gathered together anddiscussed important topics over food and music, and the concept felt appropriate for this occasion,saysBreanne Lavallee-Heckertwith the Echoes.

"It's part of reclaiming our lands and part of that is changing names, but it's also taking up space and being here and building relationship with community," she said.

The Echoes took the time to help educate the community about Col. Wolseley and build momentum to change the name.

Dispatched by Ottawa, Wolseley led more than 1,000 troops toviolentlysuppressLouis Riel's Red River Resistance.

Wolseley's1870 campaignled to the harassment and displacementofMtis people. A petition last year calling for the renaming of locations named after Wolseleydescribed himas "the military leader of Prime Minister John A. Macdonald's genocidal scheme of white 'armed emigration' to the North West."

The Mtispeople who didn't flee faced brutal consequences fromWolseley's troops.

Claire Johnston, a spokesperson with the Echoes, says many people who live in the area had no idea what the name meant.

"Wolseley residents have been shocked to find out who Wolseley was, and that he committed genocide and the reign of terror against Mtis people on these lands," she said.

"While there is a place for this history to be taught, it's not for commemoration on street names."

Discussions about landmarks, statues and other things commemorating violent historical figures have cropped up recently all over Manitoba.

The rural municipality of Gimlipulled the word 'colonization' from the names of four streets to honour reconciliation.

In Winnipeg, the city is mulling changing the name of Bishop Grandin Boulevard, which is named afterBishop Vital-Justin Grandinwho lobbied the federal government to fund the construction of the residentialschools, which saw children torn from their families and stripped of their identities inwhat has been decried asgenocide.

Johnston says the time is right to lobby the community to change this name as well.

"As Mtispeople living on our traditional territories, we don't believe that name should stand any longer,"Breanne Lavallee-Heckertadded.

Granola and/or genocidal history?

Around 50 people were in attendance at the rendezvous Sunday. Residents of the area say they're starting to question what they once associated with the name of the neighbourhood.

Conor Smith moved to Winnipeg from southwestern Ontario a few years ago, and came to associate Wolseley with greenery and open-minded people.

He recently moved to the neighbourhood and is starting to broaden that idea, though.

"Learning more about the history of [Col.] Wolseleyand what he's done to remove the Indigenous inhabitants of this land, there's no way someone like that should be honoured with having their name over this neighbourhood."

Patti Waveysays she doesn't think of the history of Col. Wolseley and his reign of terror when she hears his name.

"When I think of Wolseley I don't think of the past history, I think of it as a place from the 60s and its open-minded," she said.

When it comes to removing his name, though, she says she can go either way.

"I see where people are coming from," Wavey said.