Mic Mac Mall doesn't plan to change name, which some Mi'kmaq call 'antiquated'

The Mic Mac Mall is spending $55 million on updating its food courtand other renovations, but it won't be updating its name.

While other organizations have dropped the use of Micmac, an outdated mispronunciation of Mi'kmaq the Indigenous people of Mi'kma'ki, which spans the Atlantic provinces, the Gasp Peninsula and northern Maine the mall is standing by its name.

Changing the name of themall,located on Micmac Boulevard in Dartmouth, N.S., is not part of the renovation plan, Mic Mac Mallgeneral managerTamithaOakley said Wednesday. In a statement Friday, the company that owns the mall,Ivanho Cambridge, said it looks forward to discussing the matter with Mi'kmaqgroups.

The mall's name hasalways bothered Alan Syliboy a little bit.

Syliboy, aMi'kmaqartist inTruro,doesn't find it offensive, but said it is outdated and disrespectful. He said they're saying the name incorrectly.

"If you're introduced to someone and they don't get your name right, well, you correct them. And if you don't do that, it kind ofsits, it lingers, you know?" saidSyliboy."I think that's what it is,is mutual respect."

Syliboysaid it would be good for the mall'simage to change the name.

"It's an easy thing to do. And the world is changing. And what does that say,you know? We're not changing and everybody else is."

'It's an antiquated term'

Seeing the words Mic Mac Mall lit up leavesRebecca Thomas sighing and rolling her eyes.

"You're saying our name wrong," said Thomas, a Mi'kmaq activist and former poet laureate of Halifax."Please say it correctly or, you know, maybe don't say it at all."

Thomas saidthe mall, among other business such as Mic Mac Bar and Grill and Mic Mac Amateur Aquatic Club have an opportunity to be leaders inchange and reconciliation and it's disappointingnot tosee them take that chance.

"It's asking to be respected. We're offering our hand in an opportunity to have a moment where we can learn and grow together, and we're having our hand kind of swatted away, saying, 'Well no, we want to keep it like this,'and so it's kind of frustrating."

Thomas said the use of the word "MicMac"is similar tosportsteams usingthe words "Indians" and "redskins."

"It's antiquated.It's like the word Indian. It's not an outright racial slur like the redskins, but it's an antiquated term that doesn't need to be used anymore because we have more proper words to use."

Therestaurant, rowing cluband mallwere likely named after the nearbyLake Micmac, said Thomas.Butthey don't necessarily need to change their names toMi'kmaq, she said.

Thomas suggested they could rename their businesses for other geographic names in their area, such as Waverley. Shesaid it would be interesting to see the lake renamedtowhat theMi'kmaqoriginally called it.

A spokesperson for the province said there are no plans to consider changing the name of Lake Micmac, but there is a process for residents to request a name change.

Provincial records showthe lake was named Second Dartmouth Lake in 1921, and was changed to Micmac Lake 5 in 1922and then became Lake Micmac in 1975.

Lake Micmac is the second lakein theShubenacadie Canal chain of lakes that theMi'kmaqused as a transportation routebefore the arrival of Europeans.

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