Keep the name Red Indian Lake

More than 80 years ago I was born in Millertown and grew up on the shores of Red Indian Lake.

Seemingly, Beothuk history was instilled at the youngest of ages.

Very early on we were taught the history of the Beothuk and their tragic demise.

Respect for the Beothuk people was an inherent part of who we were.

We were aware that we walked where they walked, we swan in the same waters.

Whether playing on the lake shore, or rambling through the forests, we were always hoping that we might find some treasure, some sign of the people who came before us.

Even now there are places where, if I remain very still, I can feel a spiritual closeness. A revisit last September to beautiful Indian Point turned out to be a pilgrimage, to walk again on sacred land and to feel the Beothuk presence.

It was encouraging to meet and talk with two post-grad archeologists who, along with Don Pelley (probably the most knowledgeable person of Beothuk sites along Red Indian Lake and the Exploits river), are utilizing modern technology to help uncover more evidence of the Beothuk presence at this site.

The name Red Indian Lake was, and is, a tribute of respect to the memories of the first nation peoples of our Island.

Yes they were Indians, a proud name still enshrined in the Constitution of Canada. And yes, they were red, because they covered their bodies with red ochre taken from the shores of the lake.

Some years ago an old friend, who also grew up in Millertown, gave me a small vial of red ochre, collected, perhaps, from the very same spot used by the Beothuk. I treasure that as a gateway to imaginations of a simpler time.

The genocide of every last one of the Beothuk nation will forever be a stain on our people. Whether we’re of European or of Mi’kmaq descent there’s blood on all our hands. To attempt to change the name of Red Indian Lake would be the final insult. They deserve better.

Throughout the years the people of Millertown, of Buchans, and of Buchans Junction have been good stewards of this lake, this land and its forests. They have stood strong as protectors of the traditions and the places sacred to the memory of the Beothuk. In the current “consultations” they have spoken out very decisively that the name is respectful and should not change.

Regardless of the spin that the smug Lisa Dempster minister responsible for Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation) might present, the truth has been spoken. Whether the recent meetings were true consultations, or merely a charade, the result is the same — overwhelming agreement that the name Red Indian Lake is the right and respectful name.

It must not change.