York Region District School Board trustees voted to rename the former Sir John A. Macdonald Public School to Nokiidaa Public School.
The decision follows a community consultation that included receiving feedback from the school community, Indigenous students, staff, family members and members of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation. Nokiidaa is the Ojibwe word that means let’s work or let’s all work together. The word is reflective of the commitment to work together, to build relationships and to build a bright future for our students. It also reflects the board’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation. As an Ojibwe word, it honours the importance of language and of the First Peoples on this land.
“We are honoured to be renaming this school Nokiidaa Public School, and grateful to everyone who participated in the community consultation process,” said Allan Tam, Board Chair. “It is a name that will inspire and in which the school community can take pride.”
“Renaming schools is a sensitive process and cannot be done in isolation of the name that has been removed. The name should have Indigenous significance. We all need to recognize that Indigenous languages are part of our original fabric and of the land we all share as Canadians,” said Indigenous Trustee Lauri Hoeg. “It is imperative that healing is also part of the process and for healing to happen, medicine must be put on the wound. Our language is our medicine.”
“Thank you to everyone who supported this renaming process. Renaming a school is an important responsibility, and I am grateful to all who shared their feedback and participated in the consultation. We speak of our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, but our legacy will not be measured by the words that we speak if they are not aligned with our actions. In renaming this school Nokiidaa Public School, we are aligning our words and our actions,” said Ron Lynn, Trustee, Markham Wards 2, 3 and 6.
“The renaming of this school is reflective of our commitment as a school board to Truth and Reconciliation and to working together as a community in the interests of our students. It is a name that honours the Ojibwe language, the First Peoples on this land and provides an opportunity for the school community and our larger board community to deepen our own learning and understanding,” said Louise Sirisko, Director of Education.
The school was previously named after Sir John A. Macdonald. The Board of Trustees voted to rename the school in July 2021, acknowledging that the first Prime Minister of Canada supported the creation of residential schools, and created policies to starve Indigenous peoples, to remove them from their homes on the plains to allow for railroads and settlement of non-Indigenous people. In addition to targeting Indigenous populations, Macdonald also denied Chinese immigrants citizenship and supported legislation that would exclude them from voting until 1946.
York Region District School Board is the third largest school district in Ontario with over 128,000 students in 180 elementary schools and 33 secondary schools. York Region students consistently perform above average in provincial testing and the Board is one of the top achievers in Ontario. For more information about the York Region District School Board, please visit the Board website and follow YRDSB on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
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The Nokiidaa Public School sign has been updated with the new school name.