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Indigenous Naming
Working in partnership with Kwikwetlem, Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish and Musqueam Nations and Indigenous members of the university community, SFU is grateful to have received Indigenous names for the Burnaby campus, the First Peoples' Gathering House and three other locations on campus significant to Indigenous faculty, staff and students.
This Indigenous naming project supports our commitment to advance Truth and Reconciliation, one of the priorities of What’s Next, and is a meaningful action in partnership with Indigenous peoples to create safe, welcoming places for Indigenous students, staff and faculty to learn, teach and work.
The Names
Since time immemorial, two languages have been spoken by Host Nations of the SFU Burnaby campus:
- hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ is spoken by the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Peoples
- Sḵwx̱wú7mesh is spoken by the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Peoples
In order to represent both languages, each location has received two Indigenous names. Always use names in both languages, with hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ first and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh second separated by a slash. This order is appropriate because more SFU Burnaby campus Host Nations speak hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (3) than Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (1).
Using these names going forward honours the Nations’ traditional territories and their ongoing stewardship of the territory and places on our campus.
SFU Burnaby Campus |
|
| hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ | |
xʷtatəl̕ləm ʔə ƛ̓ səltaɬ sme:nt |
|
| Learning place of Burnaby Mountain | |
| Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Snichim | |
Xwta7ltáw̓txw tl’a Lheḵw’lhúḵw’aytn |
|
| Learning house of Burnaby Mountain | |
First Peoples’ Gathering House |
|
| hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ | |
sƛ̓exənew̓txʷ |
|
| Feast/local gathering house | |
| Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Snichim | |
Tl’e7enḵáw̓txw |
|
| Ceremony house | |
Indigenous Student Centre |
|
| hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ | |
q̓pəθətew̓txʷ |
|
| Gather house or room | |
| Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Snichim | |
Ḵxwúsemay̓aḵin |
|
| A purposeful gathering room | |
Indigenous Curriculum Resource Centre |
|
| hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ | |
xʷəlməxʷaʔɬ tatəl̕ew̓txʷ |
|
| Place of learning of the Indigenous Peoples | |
| Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Snichim | |
Xwtél̓ay |
|
| Place of discovery | |
Indigenous Garden |
|
| hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ | |
spən̓əm |
|
| The garden and what is planted in it | |
| Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Snichim | |
Npen̓em̓áy |
|
| Garden | |
🔊 If you can’t hear the sound, please turn up your volume.
Using Indigenous Names
- To learn how, when and where to use these names, visit SFU’s Indigenous Place Names Editorial Style Guide.
- Download our reference page to easily copy/paste these names as you need them (MS Word format).
- You can also visit our guide for typing Indigenous characters and languages.
Honouring Host Nations
Indigenous names are a title to a deep story of truth, history and connection that honour and recognize the First Nations on whose unceded and traditional territories SFU’s campuses reside.
At the opening of SFU’s Burnaby campus in 1965, the Host Nations were not engaged or consulted; thus, their history and connection was not recognized. Today, the university seeks to redress that history and unlock the Indigenous connections and histories across its three campuses, and establish an enduring connection between Host Nations and settlers and newcomers by reminding the community of the history where they are situated.
These names are a gift from the Host Nations, rights holders of the territory we are privileged to work, research and live on. SFU recognizes their languages, histories, and ongoing presence on these lands—and this shapes how the university community will understand and use these places going forward.
The completion of this Indigenous place-naming project is a testament to the leadership, perseverance, collaboration and expertise of the Indigenous Naming Committee, whom we call the SFU Family.
The Burnaby campus naming work is the first of three phases. It is our goal in the future to continue this work on our other campuses.