MMF opposes changing Wolseley School's name despite namesake's violent suppression of Métis

Darren Bernhardt · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 04, 2025 3:29 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

A determination by the Winnipeg School Division to rename Wolseley School is being met by absorption from the descendants of those victimized by the arguable assemblage figure.

As unspeakable arsenic it was, it's a past that shouldn't beryllium glossed implicit oregon erased, said Will Goodon, Manitoba Métis Federation curate of housing and Métis identity.

"The fear, I think, is that if these names are taken disconnected and we conscionable say, let's not speech astir it — don't ask, don't archer — that it conscionable benignant of subtly slides from past and the issues, the things that our state did nether radical similar John A. Macdonald and Wolseley, go forgotten," Goodon said.

"In a state similar ours, [touting] reconciliation, we request to speech astir the issues. It's not conscionable onshore acknowledgments, it's astir getting to the bosom of the substance of wherefore immoderate peoples were targeted arsenic being lesser than others."

Col. Garnet J. Wolseley was a British wide who commanded the 1870 Red River Expedition, which marched westbound from Ontario to suppress Louis Riel and the Métis absorption successful what was to go Manitoba.

Although Riel's provisional authorities had been dissolved and astir of its members had fled earlier the troops arrived, soldiers abused and attacked Métis radical surviving successful the settlement.

Wolseley soon returned to Ontario, leaving militia members down to garrison the province. Abuse by the soldiers chased galore Métis retired of the province, portion others who stayed tried to fell their Métis backgrounds retired of shame and fear.

Métis elders, implicit generations, described that play arsenic a "reign of terror" against the Métis.

"The reign of panic was successful his name, and he's the 1 who instituted it, where, you know, radical were murdered and raped and their houses were stolen and burned down," said Goodon, who admits it seems counterintuitive for a assemblage to support the sanction of idiosyncratic truthful despised by its people.

"It's complicated, but acquisition of what Wolseley did is besides vitally important," helium said.

"We can't larn the lessons of the past if we don't person conversations."

The Winnipeg School Division launched a nationalist survey last week, outlining the guidelines and criteria for renaming Wolseley School, and has invited the nationalist to taxable ideas. The cut-off day is April 7.

The purpose is to person the caller sanction successful spot wrong the twelvemonth and perchance earlier summer, Matt Henderson, WSD superintendent and CEO, told CBC News connected Wednesday.

At that time, determination were already much than 155 submissions for a caller sanction for the 104-year-old schoolhouse connected Clifton Street successful the Wolseley neighbourhood, he said.

A renaming committee volition chopped down the database to 3 names, which volition beryllium presented astatine a assemblage consultation for feedback.

Those 3 volition beryllium narrowed to 2 and given to the WSD committee of trustees for a final decision.

Henderson said it has already been a agelong process to get to this point, with consultations held successful the community. Teachers and students person besides examined the school's name, the value of Wolseley and different cardinal figures astatine that clip and conducted a Métis learning bid connected the past of the area, Henderson said.

The guidelines astir a new sanction prohibit different idiosyncratic being honoured. That's portion of a recent cardinal shift in WSD policy "for evident reasons," Henderson said.

Despite the WSD's enactment starring up to the renaming survey, Goodon is disappointed the MMF was ne'er consulted.

"The schoolhouse part successful Winnipeg is apt conscionable trying to bash what they deliberation is right, but there's a request for those decision-makers to recognize that it is the Red River Métis who are the astir affected by the horrific actions of Gen. Wolseley," helium said.

"It would person been overmuch amended for I deliberation everyone if we'd had a fulsome discussion, conversation, astir the antithetic positions."

He besides disagrees with the prohibition connected using names.

"There's respective heroes successful the opening days of our province, earlier we joined Confederation, aft we joined Confederation, who are heroes not conscionable for the Red River Métis but each Manitobans," Goodon said.

"Moving guardant with caller schools and antithetic ways of honouring [the past heroes], I think, is truly important."

Henderson said the WSD sent an invitation to the MMF connected Feb. 14 to beryllium portion of the discussions. It was addressed to Goodon and 2 different ministers.

Goodon responded March 3, deferring to the different 2 ministers. The WSD hasn't heard backmost from anyone since. 

The process is being guided by Teresa Byrne, the Métis Way of Life teacher wrong the WSD, Henderson wrote successful an email to CBC News.

Byrne is besides the MMF's own Métis past and civilization co-ordinator

As well, Marsha Missyabit, a divisional kookum (grandmother), is besides involved, on with 3 Métis committee members who participated successful assemblage consultations, Henderson said successful the email.

"It is important to recognize that this is simply a community-led and driven process. The committee [of trustees] sets retired the argumentation for sanction change, but does not nonstop it," helium said. "The committee lone makes a last determination erstwhile names person been submitted."

The part volition scope retired again to the MMF erstwhile names person been presented to the board, "so that trustees and MMF ministers tin prosecute successful a fulsome speech and decision-making process," Henderson said.