After a lengthy consultation process, Sooke School District announced the new elementary school in the south of Langford is to be called SCIANEW STELITKEL, during an event at the school site on Monday (Aug. 14).
SCIANEW (pronounced schee-ay-nuh) translates to salmon. STELITKEL (pronounced ska-leetk-luth) translates to children, and combined makes the name of the school “salmon children.”
The name was gifted to the school district by the Scia’new First Nation, with Elder Lavina Charles being instrumental in picking the name.
“It’s a small part of reconciliation that’s happening right now. I’m so glad that it’s happening because I went through hell in school. At school I was told not to use … my words, everything else that made me who I am. I went home and was told by my great-grandfather … you listen to us and don’t ever forget who you are and where you come from,” said Charles.
Charles is encouraged by the progress happening with reconciliation and that today’s generation of Indigenous children are spared some of the challenges she faced.
“There is nothing wrong with being an Indian, and there is nothing wrong with being white. We all live in this world, and we’ve all got to get together, smarten up and really start thinking about this world, this earth. It’s getting destroyed, by everything, by fire, wind and rain. We have to work together, to clean it up.
“We’ve all just got to remember to stand together and work hard for one another. We don’t stand to criticize, we stand to praise whatever good anyone does.”
The name is a significant one for the Scia’new, and an apt one, according to the nation’s Chief Russ Chipps.
“I think it’s the epitome of what reconciliation is learning the language, walking together. It’s not just a territorial acknowledgement. Using the language, sharing it with our children – humbling. And I’m glad we get to do this,” he said.
“There’s nothing wrong with coming together, it has to be done more often. What better way to celebrate coming together than through language, through our children, our most significant gift in the world. Not just our children, but your children. We’re all going to be here together.”
SD62 consulted with local Indigenous nations, as well as other stakeholders and members of the public during the naming process.
Suggestions for the name were taken from the public online and during in-person sessions and were grouped into three broad categories: ones based on geography, Indigenous names and historical.
Suggestions for geographical were Langford or South Langford Elementary, Latoria, Olympic View and Triangle Mountain. Residents suggested working with a local Indigenous nation to pick a name for the school. Other suggestions in that category included Cosen (which means star in SENCOTEN, the language of the WSANEC peoples), Klahanie (which means outdoors in Chinook) and Quelensen (which means bald eagle in SENCOTEN).
For historical names, the suggestions were Sarah Beckett, the former West Shore RCMP officer who was killed while on duty in 2016; John Horgan, former B.C. premier and Langford-Juan de Fuca MLA; Scott Manning, who died in 2020 after being principal at a number of SD62 schools; and Stew Young, who served as the mayor of Langford for almost 30 years.
Funding for the new south Langford school was announced by the province back in June of last year.
The school is slated to open in fall 2025 with room for 480 students.
WATCH: VIDEO: Fly-through the new south Langford elementary school
