‘I don’t think it’s a good reflection:’ Activist on Dewdney decision

The name of Edgar Dewdney serves as a painful reminder to some in Regina’s First Nation Community.

This is why Joely BigEagle-Kequahtooway has been advocating for years to change the name of Dewdney Avenue.

BigEagle-Kequahtooway expressed disappointment in Regina City Council’s decision to vote against renaming the street.

“I think there is a lot of talk around Truth and Reconciliation, but when it comes to action Regina is lagging behind many of the cities in Canada,” she told 980 CJME on Thursday.

Dewdney was a key figure in the Indian Residential School system and also withheld food rations from Indigenous people as a negotiation tactic.

“I don’t think that it’s a good reflection of you know, what this community should represent,” she said.

BigEagle-Kequahtooway said it felt like Indigenous voices and concerns weren’t listened to.

“He wanted my people to die. It’s logged, it’s written, it’s memorialized, in these political books in his own words and yet the main council thinks he’s a worthy individual to have a street named after him,” he said.

During Wednesday’s council meeting, Coun. Jason Mancinelli said he would support the name change if not for the cost and energy required by residents and businesses on Dewdney to change the information on their documents.

However, city manager Niki Anderson said the cost wouldn’t be a hurdle for residents.

BigEagle-Kequahtooway said she did not believe the cost was an acceptable reason to not go through with the change.

“I think when there’s political will and determination for something that they value or want; whether it’s a stadium; or whether it’s a town square; or whether it’s a glockenspiel clock, then there’s money to be found,” she said. “But when it’s something that Indigenous people want, then there’s no money.”

Mayor Sandra Masters was asked about the decision on Thursday’s Greg Morgan Morning Show.

“There’s a piece of it that is being talked about as a form of reconciliation, and it’s a symbolic gesture the idea of how that can happen.”

With that, Masters said she believes telling the truth is important, as well as educating people about the past.

“Doing some historical contextualization for how we ended up being where we are with how the founding of our city happened but also all those negative impacts of the execution of those federal policies,” she said.

However, she suggested there are other ways to move forward in reconciliation.

“There are lots of things that we can do and do to have a greater impact in terms of positive change in our community.”

BigEagle-Kequahtooway advocated for the street’s name to be changed to Buffalo or Tatanka Avenue. She explained that Tatanka means Buffalo in Dakota, Lakota and Nakota.

BigEagle-Kequahtooway said despite the decision, she won’t give up on her efforts.

– With files from 980 CJME”s Gillian Massie and Abby Zieverink