The official banner for Wîhkwêntôwin- ᐄᐧᐦᑫᐧᐣᑑᐃᐧᐣ. Photo by Ryan Hunt.
This spring, Edmonton’s most populated community of Oliver is looking to change their name to something that better reflects their values.
The new name is set to be Wîhkwêntôwin- ᐄᐧᐦᑫᐧᐣᑑᐃᐧᐣ, which translates to “A Circle of Friends” from Cree. The name was gifted to the Oliver Community League (OCL) by Elder Jerry Saddleback.
The OCL Board of Directors approved the name change in 2020, as the community was named after Frank Oliver who was the minister of interior and later superintendent general of Indian affairs. He helped enact policies that targeted Indigenous land rights and restricted immigration. He also ran a newspaper publication that alienated local Indigenous peoples and immigrants.
The new name, Wîhkwêntôwin- ᐄᐧᐦᑫᐧᐣᑑᐃᐧᐣ, will be reviewed for final approval by city council on Feb. 20, and an official celebration will be held in either the late spring or early summer. Areas in the neighborhood that have the name in it, such as Oliver School and Oliver Arena, will start the process of changing their name after the approval by city council.
Listen to the interview with Imran Ahmad, the President of the Oliver Community League below:
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