Premier open to Discovery Day name change
Chief Mi’sel Joe suggests ‘First Nations Honour Day,’ but says conversation has not come up before
Premier Dwight Ball says if Indigenous groups want to discuss renaming Discovery Day, he’s open to the conversation.
“Reconciliation arises from dialogue with Indigenous people. If the provincial government were to receive representation from one or more Indigenous governments or organizations about the Discovery Day holiday, the provincial government would engage in discussions with them in the spirit of the important and informed dialogue we have already established with Indigenous leaders,” Ball stated.
The statement also notes the holiday is not a public holiday, according to the Labour Standards Act. Instead, the holiday is negotiated as part of collective agreements with various unions across the province.
Speaking to The Toronto Star from the Assembly of First Nations conference in Vancouver, Chief Mi’sel Joe of the Miawpukek First Nation says he hasn’t discussed the matter with the provincial government to date, but he supports reexamining the holiday.
“I would call it Non-discovery Day, right off the bat,” said Joe.
“Who discovered who? We were already here.”
Joe told The Toronto Star making such a change would take consultation with Indigenous leaders.
“It’s not an easy thing and it’s not a small thing. It’s a big thing to change, not that I like it, but to change to something that’s more meaningful.”
Bonavista MHA Neil King also commented on the matter on his personal Facebook page, questioning why a St. John’s councilor would weigh in on the matter in the first place.
“There is absolutely no dispute that our aboriginal peoples were here before us and the Vikings landed on the northern peninsula 1,000 years ago,” wrote King.
“However, as the MHA for the District of Bonavista ,I take offence to the notion that John Cabot’s landing in Bonavista is not important and his ‘Discovery’ of the new founde land has no importance.”
The discussion was sparked at Monday evening’s St. John’s city council meeting, when Coun. Maggie Burton gave a notice of motion regarding the holiday.
The motion reads that, “Discovery Day is an inaccurate way to commemorate John Cabot’s voyages, as Newfoundland and Labrador was already inhabited by Indigenous peoples.” Burton’s motion — which was only presented on Monday and will be voted on at a future council meeting — calls on the city to ask the provincial government to change the name of the Discovery Day holiday.
Until a new name is chosen, the motion asks the city to refer to the holiday as “St. John’s Day” until another name is decided upon.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ball said he is open to discussions with Indigenous groups regarding the name of the holiday.
So far, no such engagement from Indigenous groups has been received by the government.
A statement from the Nunatsiavut government says conversations about changing the name have not come up yet, but updates will be provided if and when the discussions begin.
Other Indigenous organizations did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.
Discovery Day was first celebrated in 1997 to mark the 500th anniversary of Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) landing in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Some estimates from Memorial University’s department of archeology state Indigenous people first populated parts of Newfoundland and Labrador in 7,000 B.C.
Viking explorers who landed on the Great Northern Peninsula around the year 1000 AD described encountering Indigenous people during their time on the island.