Philip Franks was asked if his community members would feel a sense of pride with the official changing of Muskoka Road 38 to Kanien’kehá:ka Iohatátie.
“I would think so,” said the chief of the Wahta Mohawks. “I don't see why not because it says who we are.”
Franks made the comments just moments following an Oct. 6 ceremony at the Wahta Mohawks Administration Building, now officially located at 2664 Kanien’kehá:ka Iohatátie.
The project has been more than one year in the making.
A multi-jurisdictional Muskoka Road 38 renaming working group began meeting in June 2022 to ensure a new name was selected for Muskoka Road 38 that aligned with the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation and honoured Wahta Mohawks First Nation history, culture and language.
More than 35 dignitaries and community members gathered in the auditorium to listen to Franks and District of Muskoka officials express their gratitude after the project.
A half-hour before the start of the ceremony, several elected officials gathered at a bridge crossing over a portion of the thoroughfare for the unveiling of the official sign for the newly renamed road.
The working group members involved with the renaming project included district staff from the roads and transportation team, geographic information systems, communications and the continuous improvement unit, as well as staff and elected officials from the Township of Muskoka Lakes and Wahta Mohawks First Nation.
The Wahta Mohawks First Nation used community engagement to select three potential names to replace the current name of Muskoka Road 38.
Using social media, the Wahta Mohawks community newsletter, a member email campaign, direct mail and in-person outreach, as well as a social media platform, members were asked to submit new names for the road.
Wahta Mohawks members were also asked to indicate the meaning of the word they suggested and their rationale for selecting it.
Approximately 45 names were put forward by community members, all reflecting the Mohawk language.
At the Jan. 11, 2023, Wahta Mohawks council meeting, the names were reviewed and a list of 13 possible new names was created.
A Wahta Mohawks naming committee was formed and included the Wahta Mohawks council members, community Elders, Wahta community youth and two Kanien’Kéha speakers.
As a result, the name change of Kanien’kehá:ka Iohatátie — meaning Mohawk People Road — was approved.
The pronunciation of the new name is ga/nyen/ge/há:/ga for Kanien’kehá:ka and yo/ha/da/jay for Iohatátie.
During the Oct. 6 ceremony at the auditorium, District of Muskoka chair Jeff Lehman paid tribute to former district chair John Klinck, who was in attendance, saying his predecessor “had the vision for the regional Indigenous leadership table that would bring together municipalities and Indigenous leaders in Muskoka in a way different than the engagement has occurred in any other place in Canada.”
“It is a very, very successful initiative that has led to this process, this collaboration, and that brought us here today,” he added before thanking Klinck.
