Iroquois Ridge HS Renaming Request - Updates
Updates for Families & Staff
April 12, 2024 - Iroquois Ridge HS Renaming Request Update
April 12, 2024
Dear students, parents/guardians and staff,
We would like to provide you with an update regarding the request to rename Iroquois Ridge High School.
As you know, the Halton District School Board received a request from a Halton community member to consider renaming the school. Staff are required to bring forward all requests that meet the criteria set in Board’s School Naming and Renaming Governance Procedure to the Board of Trustees for decision. The request to initiate the renaming process was approved by the Board of Trustees on March 6.
Following concerns raised about the Board’s current School Naming and Renaming Policy and School Naming and Renaming Governance Procedure, Trustees rescinded this decision at last week’s Board meeting to further consult with Indigenous communities to determine whether or not it is necessary to initiate the renaming process.
We are aware of ongoing dialogue from many voices on the request to rename the school, and that some of this dialogue has become harmful and divisive for Indigenous community members. We also know there is some misinformation and confusion about how the HDSB has managed this request. In an effort to be completely transparent and provide you with as much information as possible, we’ve prepared a timeline to detail the process undertaken so far in responding to this request. We hope this provides clarity so that we may move forward in a fair, informed and respectful manner.
We appreciate and recognize the concerns and confusion on the current process for receiving and responding to school renaming requests. We know that to move forward in a respectful manner, the community must have confidence in our process and in knowing that appropriate and fulsome consultation has occurred.
We know there are diverse perspectives on the name and we recognize the harm felt by some members of the Indigenous community who have expressed their view of the name as being derogatory. We are committed to championing supportive and inclusive practices and fostering an environment that is safe and welcoming to all.
Next Steps
Trustees will review and update the School Naming and Renaming Policy and School Naming and Renaming Governance Procedure. Staff will review and update the Naming/Renaming Schools Administrative Procedure to ensure alignment with the Policy and Governance Procedure. HDSB staff will then bring forward a report containing the feedback received from Indigenous communities for Trustees to decide whether or not to move ahead with renaming the school.
Please be assured that feedback from the entire school community is and continues to be integral to our school and the HDSB.
If you have any questions about this, please reach out.
Sincerely,
John Stieva
Principal
Claire Proteau
Superintendent of Education
Timeline of Events
November 2023
Nov. 21: A Halton community member contacts the HDSB Director’s Office to request the renaming of Iroquois Ridge High School with the following rationale: “Iroquois” is a colonial settler term for the Haudenosaunee and is seen as a derogatory term and is not respectful of Indigenous peoples.
While the request was not submitted anonymously, staff do not have permission to disclose this individual’s name.
Staff inform the school Principal and Trustee for the school that a request has been made to rename the school and that staff are looking into whether the request meets the criteria to initiate a review and will provide further information in accordance with the Board’s School Naming and Renaming Governance Procedure.
December 2023
Staff gather the perspectives of the HDSB Human Rights & Equity Advisor and the Indigenous Rights and Education, Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion Department with regard to the request and whether it meets the criteria set in the Board’s School Naming and Renaming Governance Procedure.
It is determined by staff that the request meets the criteria set in the Board’s School Naming and Renaming Governance Procedure. It is determined that initiating a review of a school name is in alignment with the HDSB Multi-Year Plan, HDSB Indigenous Education Policy, the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action.
February 2024
Feb. 28: HDSB staff meet with the representative for the school board elevated by Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (Treaty Partner of the HDSB) to discuss the request received to rename Iroquois Ridge High School. The HDSB maintains a relationship with Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation through this representative and has done so for more than a decade. They are the HDSB’s first point of contact when engaging on matters impacting the Indigenous community.
The importance of engaging with the community is discussed with the representative and it is recommended that those directly impacted are included, if the decision is made by Trustees to proceed with the renaming process.
March 2024
March 1: A board report is published on the HDSB website as part of the March 6 agenda package and shared with Trustees.
March 6: Staff bring forward the board report to the March 6 Board meeting for Trustees to determine whether to initiate the process to rename the school. This report is in accordance with the Board’s School Naming and Renaming Governance Procedure which indicates that the Director shall forward renaming requests and rationale to the Board and, where it appears that the request meets the criteria established in the Governance Procedure, an estimate of the cost of renaming the school will also be provided.
The recommendation provided in this report is in alignment with the HDSB Multi-Year Plan, the HDSB Indigenous Education Policy, the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action.
The Board of Trustees approve the motion to initiate the renaming process of Iroquois Ridge High School at the March 6 Board meeting.
March 7: The Iroquois Ridge HS community is informed of the decision to initiate the renaming process.
March 13: HDSB staff contact Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation to advise them of the renaming request, that the renaming process has been initiated and to express the HDSB’s wishes to have their leadership voice within the community consultation process.
March 22: An update on the process is provided to the Iroquois Ridge HS community.
March 28: HDSB staff send further information to Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation to request their feedback on the name and the renaming request, their preferred involvement in the process and how they advise on the best ways to gather input from their communities. The HDSB also communicates with self-identified Indigenous families in the HDSB to request their input on the name of the secondary school and the renaming request.
March 30: HDSB Superintendent of Education for Indigenous Rights & Education, Human Rights, Equity & Inclusive Education is invited to attend a Council meeting of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation in response to the request to discuss the renaming request.
April 3: Following concerns raised about the Board’s current School Naming and Renaming Policy and School Naming and Renaming Governance Procedure, Trustees rescind the decision from the March 6 Board meeting to initiate the renaming process in order to further consult with Indigenous communities and subsequently determine whether or not to initiate the renaming process.