Iroquois Ridge High School Renaming Request

Dear students, parents/guardians and staff,

As many of you will recall, the Halton District School Board received a request from a Halton community member last year to consider renaming Iroquois Ridge High School. For those new to the school community, a timeline of events is available on the school website to provide detail about the actions taken to date on this matter. 

I am writing to inform you that the request to rename Iroquois Ridge HS is not proceeding.

At last night’s (Sept. 10) Board meeting, HDSB staff brought forward a report in response to the request from Trustees to further consult with Indigenous communities. The consultation revealed divergent perspectives on the name “Iroquois” and that additional consultation at this time may cause undue hardship on neighbouring Nations, Indigenous students and Indigenous families, as detailed in the Sept. 10 Board report. 

There has been ongoing dialogue from many voices on the request to rename the school, and some of this dialogue has become harmful and divisive for Indigenous community members. 

The HDSB is guided by our commitment to reconciliation and promoting knowledge and understanding of Indigenous inherent rights and realities. We have a crucial role in advancing the goals of Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action. This commitment includes aligning our processes with the governance systems of respective Indigenous communities, so that we make space for Indigenous self-determination and sovereignty. When addressing issues related to Indigenous communities, like the use of specific names or terms, it is important that our decision-making is in accordance with the governance systems of affected communities to ensure they are benefited. 

We appreciate and recognize concerns regarding the current process for receiving and responding to school renaming requests. Pausing the renaming process in April provided time and space for important and necessary reflection on this process and paved the way for meaningful change. We know we have more to learn, that this learning will continue and we appreciate your patience as we move forward. 

Please know, Iroquois Ridge HS and the HDSB remain committed to championing supportive and inclusive practices and fostering an environment that is safe and welcoming for all. 

Sincerely, 

Claire Proteau 

Superintendent of Education 

• Sept. 10: Staff bring forward a report for information to the Sept. 10 Board meeting in response to the motion from the April 3 meeting (above) requesting further consultation with Indigenous communities to determine whether or not to initiate the renaming process. Trustees do not initiate the renaming process for IRHS. 

• April 3: Following concerns raised about renaming and 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 to initiate the renaming process. 

• 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. 

• 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. 

• 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.

• 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.