School renaming ‘process that requires care’

Wolseley School will be renamed after the towering trees that surround it, a perennial grass found in nearby Omand’s Creek or a Michif phrase.

Kind Elm, Little Bluestem, Taapweewin and Kiikinaahk made the shortlist of new names for the elementary school site in Winnipeg.

The latter two translate to “truth” and “our home” in English.

“Whatever name is chosen, I think it’ll definitely reflect the community and its values as opposed to having a name that might create a barrier for families,” said Brian Rogowsky, principal of the nursery-to-Grade 6 campus on Clifton Street.

There were nearly 700 submissions of possible titles that cut ties with colonel Garnet Wolseley, one of the most well-known military commanders during the 19th century.

Wolseley was celebrated for his troops’ violent expedition to the Red River Colony in 1870. By the Victorian-era standards, Louis Riel was also a traitor.

The Métis rebel, whose cause was protecting his people’s land and language, is now credited for founding Manitoba.

Riel’s legacy has been rewritten in history books following symbolic declarations made in 1992, 2016 and 2023.

Two years ago, around the same time he was named an honorary first premier, residents in central Winnipeg began to question why a school was named after one of Riel’s enemies.

Red River Echoes, a grassroots group of Métis organizers, launched a public awareness campaign about Wolseley’s violent record of anti-Indigenous racism in 2021.

The following year, a Furby Street resource centre swapped out the surname in its title to become Acorn Family Place.

Wolseley, a walkable community with an organic grocery store, is known for attracting social justice-oriented Winnipeggers. It’s common to spot an orange T-shirt — a symbol of solidarity with the Every Child Matters movement — in windows.

The community is a ghost town during Winnipeg Folk Fest, which is one of the reasons a member of the Bluestem family is a potential title, Rogowsky said.

One of the biggest stages at the Birds Hill music festival is called Big Blue(stem).

Every one of the four options will make visitors feel more welcome, especially Métis caregivers and children who have particularly complicated relationships with the name Wolseley.

Rogowsky insisted he must remain impartial, although he noted that Taapweewin recognizes that truth is integral to reconciliation.

The school’s renaming committee has been collaborating with fluent speakers of the Southern Michif dialect to fact-check translations.

Rogowsky has led a school-wide inquiry project into Métis history for the better part of the last two years. He’s sought guidance from the Manitoba Métis Foundation, University of Winnipeg and elsewhere.

“This is not a process we could rush. It’s a process that requires intentional thought, and it’s a process that requires care,” he said.

Dozens of children have learned directly from Teresa Byrne, their school’s designated Métis “way of life teacher,” as well as their school division’s kookum and an assistant superintendent, who is one of the Riel family descendants.

Public consultations, the latest of which was held at the school on Tuesday, are continuing throughout the fall. An online poll with four options will remain open until Oct. 31.

The school board is anticipated to make the final decision before the end of June.

Wolseley administration is the first to navigate the Winnipeg School Division’s updated renaming policy. As of 2025, school communities that want to do away with their current title must engage in extensive public consultations and pick a replacement that represents their community and connects to learning. Titles cannot reference anyone, living or dead.

Asked about concerns raised by critics, some of whom fear renaming landmarks can erase the historical atrocities that prompted a change in the first place, Rogowsky said, “that’s a personal opinion.”

Ultimately, community members have disclosed the title causes harm, the principal said.

Métis leader Will Goodon, speaking on behalf of the government of the Red River Métis at a board meeting in the spring, urged trustees to “fight hate with education.” Goodon suggested the school could adopt a Michif title to ensure Wolseley’s historic atrocities are never forgotten.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca