Corrected Long Note: What’s in a name? For the Tla’amin Nation in British Columbia, the answer is: a lot. For them, language is intertwined with landscape and names are a foundational part of a connection to the land. To address this, in May 2021, the Tla’amin asked the city council of Powell River—named after Israel Wood Powell, one of the architects of residential schools and the ban on the Potlatch—to change the city's name. This puts the city and its inhabitants’ views on, and commitment to, reconciliation to the test. Using animated Tla’amin oral storytelling, observational footage of heated community meetings, and insightful sit-down interviews, this thought-provoking film offers a discussion that should resonate with us all, as the call to rename places, landmarks and institutions is accelerating across communities. Aisha Jamal
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