'We're being heard right now': Regina's Davin School named after residential school advocate to be renamed

The Regina Public School Board has voted to renameDavinElementary School in light of concerns over connections with the school's namesake and residential schools.

The school will be renamed The Crescents School for the 2018-19 school year.

• Trustees to decide on Davin School name controversy

The school was initially named for Nicholas FloodDavin, who wasajournalist and politician. Hewrote an influential 1879 report that played a role in the creation of residential schools.

Simon Ash-Moccasin, a former student at the school, said it's a "victory for all" to have Davin's"colonial" name replaced.

"As an Indigenous person, we're being heard right now," Ash-Moccasinsaid. "There's a lot of people before that fought to be heard that weren't heard."

"It's education, that's where it starts," he said.

Votes 4-1 for replacement

The school board launched an online survey last November, askingthe public if theDavinname should be scrapped. The issue went back to the board after inconclusive results.

On Tuesday, members voted 4-1 in favour of changing the school name, along with the other recommendations. One board member abstained.

Jay Kasperski, trustee of subdivision seven,was the only member to oppose the name change, although he did vote in favour of the other recommendations.

During the meeting, he said it would be "arrogant" for current trustees to "revisit and correct a decision made almost 90 years ago to recognize an individual forthe prominent role he played in the founding years of our community without any framework to guide that decision."

Kasperskialso said keeping the Davin name wouldn't "diminish or minimize the great strides" the school board has made toward reconciliation.

Adam Hicks, vice-chairperson and trustee of subdivision three, voted in favour of the recommendations but said it was one of the most difficult decisions in his two years on the board.

"TheDavinname represents that of a society that had become a bully a bully that created pain and suffering for thousands of Indigenous people across this country," Hickssaid.

"Whether or not it was the intent ofDavin, just the name and the report can be triggers for those who have been hurt through those actions before us," the board member continued.

"For those of us who do not experience those triggers from the name, like myself, can we not be caring and heartfelt for those that do?"

Further recommendations

The board approved other recommendations along with the name change:

• A new plaque to be made and displayed detailingthe history of the school's name, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations and theactions taken by the school division.
• A permanent and public document to be created tooutlinethe history of the school, its name and actionstaken by the school division.
• The Davin School name on the masonry of the building to be preservedfor historical purposes, andthe plaque about Nicholas Flood Davintobe retained.
• A permanent exhibit of artifacts of the Treaty 4 area andRegina Industrial School to be assembled and made available to all Regina Public Schools through the Alex Youck Museum.

The board said those changes will be implemented over time.