A plaque was unveiled Friday at The Crescents School to show significance to the school’s name change that took place last year.
The school used to be named after Nicholas Flood Davin, who produced the ‘Report on Industrial Schools for Indians and Half-Breeds’ at the request of then-Prime Minister Sir John A. MacDonald in 1879.
Principal Jillian Bussiere said hundreds of conversations were had with parents on what this transition should look like.
“We felt, and the students felt, and the parents felt, that we needed some sort of closure for the year as we moved into the fall,” Bussiere said. “We needed to recognize by the placing of the plaques what had happened through the three years of decision making.”
HAPPENING NOW: A Plaque was unveiled at The Crescents School, formerly known as Davin School, to show significance to the name change #yqr #sask pic.twitter.com/ha2Y8rvv8T
— Ryan McNally (@RyanE_McNally) June 21, 2019
Bussiere said the goal is not not repeat history.
“What we need to do as educators, and as parents, and as a community to make sure that doesn’t happen, and to make sure that our students, whether they’re in kindergarten, grade five or grade eight, are aware of what’s happened in the past and can move forward in assisting that progress of reconciliation.”
Grade four student at The Crescents Violet Armistead said they learn a lot about what Davin did in school.
“I was a little bit sad that they were taking away children’s right to practice their culture and just be themselves, so I just hope that it never happens again.”
The process to change the name was three years long, and included consultation with parents and Regina Public Schools board of education coming together to make the final decision.
