Renaming Red Indian Lake Causing Stress and Straining Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Ties

Public Space Analysis: Red Indian Lake
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Public Space Analysis: Red Indian Lake
Introduction
The provincial government's plan to rename Red Indian Lake is generating stress and straining Indigenous and non-Indigenous ties in central Newfoundland, according to several residents who have spoken out against how the process has been handled. The province began the renaming process three months ago, introducing legislation in the House of Assembly to rename the lake Wantaqo'ti Qospem, a Mi'kmaw word that translates to "calm lake." The shift comes ahead of attempts to repatriate the remains of a Beothuk couple, Nonosabasut and Demasduit, who were imprisoned in Scotland for over two hundred years. According to Natasha Jones of Buchans Junction, racism has reared its ugly head due to the news; but the imminent question is whether it is right and what is entailed in the debate, as discussed below. The paper will discuss the public opinion and discussion with regards to the renaming of Red Indian Lake and its attitude towards the people of Canada.
Historical Context
King George III issued a declaration in 1769 requiring "...all His Majesty's subjects to live in solidarity and brotherly kindness with (Beothuk) of the said island of Newfoundland...," so you can imagine how upsetting it would be to see today's current provincial government actively and possibly irreversibly minimizing the Beothuks' history (Manuel, 2021). Some may believe that this material is meant to promote Red Indian Lake's retention of its colonial name; however, nothing could be further from the truth (Greg, 2021). In reality, the name must be altered. Giving the cultural and religious center of the whole Beothuk civilization a Mi'kmaq name, on the other hand, is comparable to renaming Jerusalem or Mecca or calling Pueblo monuments Apache historically. According to historical and archaeological records, the Beothuk people spent the winter at Red Indian Lake every year before going to the coastlines in the spring. The lake had a particular position in their society, being the only (known) location the Beothuk congregated in such huge quantities; it is no surprise that last of their species sought sanctuary here, away from all those invading from all sides.
There were numerous threats for the Beothuk at that time, whether it was the invading French and Mi'kmaq from the south or even the English from the north. Although some may think it acceptable to rename one Native nation's ancestral grounds after our remaining Indigenous country's language, the flavor becomes bitter when you realize the Beothuk were terrified of them and regarded them as their adversary (Smellie, 2021). This is generally known that Shawnadithit, the last of Beothuk, would always run whenever a Mi'kmaq navigator came into port while living with the Peyton family on Exploits Island (Greg, 2021). People don't bring this up to blame the Mi'kmaq people in any way, but historical events and people&nbs...