Muskoka Rd. 38 has been renamed Kanien’kehá:ka Iohatátie, which translates to Mohawk People Rd.
The road, which travels through Wahta Mohawk territory in Bala, was the District of Muskoka’s first road renaming project. An unveiling ceremony was held Friday with many dignitaries attending, including Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Graydon Smith, District Chair Jeff Lehman, and many representatives from Wahta Mohawks.
Wahta has posted a video on its YouTube page to help people pronounce the new road name.
The road name was announced in March 2023 after months of meetings between Wahta, the district, and the Township of Muskoka Lakes.
Lehman said it was an honour to be part of the process, however, he points out the name was chosen by the people of Wahta.
Wahta Mohawks Chief Philip Franks says, on top of being called Mohawk Rd. 38, it has been called Indian Rd., Gibson Rd., and Hwy. 660. “It’s always just been a number so we’re more than just a number now,” he said. “We’ve got a name that describes who we are as a people, the people that we are, and this is where we live.”
Muskoka Lakes Mayor Peter Kelley sat on the tri-council renaming committee. “Long before cars, long before trucks, long before Chair Lehman, Chief Franks or myself, it was the Mohawk People Rd.,” he said. Now, many years later, it’s officially being called that again and, importantly, in the Mohawk language. “That’s a cause for celebration,” said Kelley.
Lehman said this process is part of Truth and Reconciliation. “Truth and Reconciliation has started by learning and that meant reading the [Truth and Reconciliation Report], not just the calls to action, but the survivor accounts,” he continued. As a non-Indigenous Canadian, Lehman said it also means relearning Canadian history, “including the really awful parts.”
“The engagement with the community in Wahta is part of the Reconciliation piece,” said Lehman. “As you understand the truth, and build a relationship, which has been what’s done through the Muskoka Area Indigenous Leadership Table, then you can take that relationship and say what can we do together?”
No pun intended, but Franks said the name change is a sign of the times.
“Times are changing,” he said. Acknowledging that the right thing to do and to involve Wahta is an important step on the path to Truth and Reconciliation, he continued.
“At the end of this month, Wahta Mohawk people and our language will have been in Muskoka for 142 years,” said Franks. “Kanien’kehá:ka Iohatátie brings recognition to Wahta as a Kanien’kehá:ka community in this important time of truth and reconciliation.”
