Squamish Nation wants Province to change the name of Mount Garibaldi to Nch’ḵay̓, the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh name for the mountain.
Trent Thomas, a provincial toponymist with the BC Geographical Names Office, has written to the Mayor and council to inform them of the request by the Squamish Nation. The mountain that towers over the town is located on the east side of Cheakamus River, between Squamish and Whistler, in the Garibaldi Provincial Park.
According to a report by the Geographical Names office, the mountain was named Mount Garibaldi by survey ship captain Richards of the Royal Navy in the 1860s to commemorate the Italian General Giuseppe Garibaldi, a key contributor to the unification of Italy. It is unlikely that Garibaldi ever visited British Columbia, but there are 10 other official names that commemorate him in the province, including the prominent Garibaldi Provincial Park.
However, Squamish Nation have called this mountain “Nch’ḵay̓” for thousands of years. The name means “Dirty Place” or “Grimy one” and comes from the tendency for the Cheekye River to look muddy in colour, a result of volcanic debris in the area that colours the water and surrounding landscape, according to the information provided by Squamish Nation.
Nch’ḵay̓ is considered sacred by the Squamish people. Their oral history talks of a time of a great flood when Nch’ḵay̓ played a central role in the survival of the Squamish people. During the great flood, the waters rose to such an extent that only Nch’ḵay̓ and several other taller mountains remained above the water. The Squamish people tethered their canoes to the top of Nch’ḵay̓ using rope made from cedar trees until the water receded. The Great Flood is a metaphor for catalysts of change, a recurring theme in Squamish mythology.
Also read: How Alice and Edith Lakes were named.
The Squamish oral history also speaks of Xwech’tál, the serpent slayer, who used the slopes of Nch’ḵay̓ and Brohm Ridge as a training ground. Nch’ḵay̓ is also important to the Squamish people for ceremonial purposes, navigation, weather predicting, obsidian gathering, food and plant gathering, and animal hunting.
In accordance with the BC Geographical Naming Policy and Procedures, before any naming decisions are made, it is important to ascertain if there are other known traditional names for this feature, and that the proposed name reflects the heritage values in the area. The BC Geographical Names Office is requesting comments from governments, communities, and relevant organisations such as Tourism Squamish.
Jim Lorman says
I got a good idea. The First Nations can call Mt Garibaldi anything they want and we will continue to call it what we do
Marley McLeod says
Absolutely support this name change!
Kristin Bourke says
We should be calling everything surrounding us by it’s indigenous name. After all they have been through and survived, they deserve to have things named as they were before colonists showed up in NA.
Ms k says
Oh how settler of you
Ihor+Zalubniak says
To clarify: the pointed peak is not Garibaldi. It is Atwell, named after a member of tje 2 person team of the first recorded ascent of the peak in the very early 1900’s.
Garibaldi is the massif to the immediate north.
Francine says
And that is correct.
You don’t want to wake up that volcano
Thank you
Stef says
This is a good proposal to consider. I never understood the link between the Italian general (as great as he may have been) and this iconic Coast range mountain. The Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim name has more meaning.
Francine Lessard says
I personally would love for it to be called Mount Reconciliation
What a statement that would be!
Garry Hastings says
Not a frigin chance. Stop with this stupid s–t enough is enough.
Rich Elitist says
what f*ck is wrong with you gary!
Tom Candy says
You got that right….way past time to start saying NO to these demands from so-called First Nations
Zilya says
Tom and Gary are men, and probably white, too. Your opinions as white men were the only one we cared about in past years, but now, your opinions are irrelevant. White men like you can be quiet for once. We don’t care what you think anymore. White men who want to develop and progress are the only ones that matter, even a little bit. Tom and Gary are just grumpy that their privilege is being threatened.
Dave says
That’s pretty racist Zilya!
Ted Prior says
Good idea . What’s Garibaldi got to do with squamish
anthony dadson says
Hilarious to see someone referring to thousands of years of the history of local inhabitants as “stupid s–t!! lol
Vivian Hui says
I would be very supportive of a name change! The name “Garibaldi” seemed quite arbitrarily chosen, where the name N’ch kay’ has much more history behind it.
I would also really like to learn to pronounce the names, including the name of “Black Tusk”. Landing place of the thunderbird sounds far more interesting, and I would really like to know how to pronounce it in the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh language.
Lizanne Kikstra says
I think most of us know it as Mt. Garibaldi , and will continue to call it as that, and the indigenous name can be the one they’ve suggested. Then everyone is happy.
Garry HASTINGS says
When they start working and paying taxes, like the rest of us, they may have a say. Free ride does not work for me.
Mike C says
Jesus bud, do you even listen to yourself before you spill your bullshit into the world?
Joe Williams says
I’m ok with the name change. I’m not ok with name changes that I as an Canadian is unable to read write or pronounce.
Maya Joseph says
Garry Hastings racist comments just shows how ignorant & blatant stupidity does to some people. His ignorance is laughable! Indigenous people work & pay taxes like everyone else.
Zoltan Gyulasi says
Go ahead and change it. I’m just happy to be able to enjoy it. Don’t care what it’s called. Obviously they were here first. Call it what you will. It’s a spiritual place for me as well when I head up there.
James Paul Blank says
Why the hell not? Guiseppe Garibaldi was a hero of the Italian unification campaign and continued his revolutionary activities in South America. I’m pretty sure he never got as far as the B.C. Coast. The fellow has probably hundreds of places named after him throughout the world, I’m sure he’ll be fine if there’s one fewer. We’ve all pretty much gotten used to calling what used to be known as the Strait of Georgia and the Queen Charlotte Islands by their more appropriate names of the Salish Sea and Haida Gwaii respectively. As a society here in Canada and British Columbia we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us in our collective goal of proper recognition of and reconciliation with the First Nations who lived on these lands long before the first Europeans showed up. A few name changes are low-hanging fruit in the big picture, but can mean a lot symbolically when trying to show some good faith.
Eric S. says
Having skied from the top of that loveley mountain, I would be perfectly happy with the name change.
And in the mean time, I would be extremely grateful for some guidance experts (preferably, native speakers!) on the pronunciation of Nch’ḵay̓.
tammy gwilt says
Call it whatever ya want! It’s a beauty of a mountain on a place called earth for all of us to enjoy… it’s just a name created by humans. Moving on.