Committee set to discuss changing city's first Michif-named street
City administration is looking to rename a new Saskatoon street after the word was revealed to have different meanings.
Council will mull over the recommendation to rename Shakamohtaa Street after feedback received at City Hall said the Michif word had “different meanings for speakers of the different Michif language dialects.”
The word shakamohtaa is a Michif word or concept that embodies the spirit of coming together or connection.
Originally vetted by an Indigenous Elder, the word was added to the city’s Names Master List along with numerous other Indigenous language submissions in January 2020. It was then used on a street in Brighton in early 2021.
The report before the city’s standing committee on planning, development and community services says several discussions have happened with representatives from Métis Nation-Saskatchewan to rename the street. Administration is recommending to continue working with the Métis community to identify an appropriate name.
There is one other Michif word on the Names Master List: “waahkoomiqayhk,” signifying the concept of “kinship,” the administration report said.
A letter from Métis Nation-Saskatchewan CEO Richard Quintal wrote a letter to council asking the first Métis heritage names street be called “Michif.”
“As a first name, this word goes to the heart of Métis culture. For many it is used interchangeably with the word Métis and we speak of Michif language, Michif culture and Michif people,” Quintal said in his letter.
“We will be pleased to see a street carry this proud name and would look forward to participating in any openings related to it.”
Mayor Charlie Clark celebrated the naming of the street when it was first announced in April 2021.
“While it is long overdue, I am glad we will see the Michif language reflected on this street in Brighton. Imagine the impact for kids growing up in this neighbourhood, living on or near Shakamohtaa Street. They will feel a greater connection to these roots and the beauty of the Michif language," Clark said at the time.
The committee is set to discuss the street name change at its meeting on Monday at 9:30 a.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Saskatchewan households will continue to receive carbon tax rebate: Trudeau
Households in Saskatchewan will continue to receive Canada Carbon Rebate payments, despite the province refusing to remit the federal carbon price on natural gas, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
“It's just so hard to let it go. I mean, everyone is telling me, ‘you have to move on,’ but I know someone is not here [anymore]. So I don't know how I will move on." That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.