Students at Gleneagles Elementary School in West Vancouver wrote their names into history last week, each autographing a large cedar carving commemorating the school’s adoption of its new First Nations name.
Following a naming ceremony on Thursday, the school is hereon known as Gleneagles-Ch’axay, the latter being the centuries-old title for the Horseshoe Bay area where the school sits today.
Pronounced “CHUCK-hi,” the name is a vocal approximation of the “sizzling” sound made by the once abundant herring that spawned in the waters of the bay, according to S7aplek (SOP-luck), a Squamish cultural advisor. Please follow the link above for more on this very important occasion.
Director of Instruction, Lynne Tomlinson, the former principal of Gleneagles was honoured at this ceremony by the Squamish First Nations for her contribution to increasing Aboriginal understanding and respect among West Vancouver schools. Lynne is a long time network leader whose work both with the Networks of Inquiry and Innovation and the Aboriginal Enhancement Schools Network is greatly valued.
Thank you for the interesting article.
I can imagine the magnificence of a pristine and clean and nutrient-rich Horseshoe Bay/ Ch’axáý teeming with such enormous schools of herring chased up to break the surface of the water by hunting salmon that the whole lively process makes a “CHUCK-hi” sound.
Is the “hi” from “CHUCK-hi” pronounced “high” – rhymes with “sky”, “fly”, “my” – or “he” – rhymes with “she”, “me”, “be”?
Be that as it may, great that we’re celebrating pre-European Aboriginal culture and have added the Aboriginal name for Horseshoe Bay to our school.
I attended Gleneagles-Ch’axáý Elementary School from 1967 to 1970. It was a great growing experience. Most salient is Mr. Grant’s music classes – we sang Hey Jude, House of the Rising Sun and Get Back – and he introduced us to the flowing glories of classical music – Tchaikovsky, Bach, Beethoven – and we got to try out a variety of musical instruments. Also Mr. Walsh, straight out of university with quite an unorthodox style but great at instilling inspiration and enthusiasm towards questioning, learning and appreciating the wonders of life, nature and the universe. Also Mr. Wren, the school principle, to whose office we were sent when we had been especially rough and tumble and/or our exploratory expeditions went too far.
A beautiful setting beside the high snow-capped purple mountain majesties, above the deep blue sea and among the tall green pines.
Thank you Gleneagles Elementary School! Thank you British Columbia! Thank you Canada!
A great introduction to the robust New World for a boy from urbane Old Europe.