Waterloo summer camp changes name after request from Indigenous group

WATERLOO -

A popular summer camp in Waterloo has changed its name after a request from local Indigenous leaders.

Formerly known as Camp Kummoniwannago, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church changed the name to Camp K, after the original moniker was deemed offensive to the Indigenous community.

"I always thought to myself 'wow the name of this camp is very problematic,'" said Land Back Camp co-founder Bangishimo Johnston. "They're mocking broken Indigenous language. For a lot of us, English is not our first language."

Johnston was among the group of Indigenous leaders to ask for the camp's name change.

"The initial name of the camp was just a play on the words – 'come on I want to go,'"  said Marty Molengraaf, lead minister at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, which runs the camp.

The original name was used since the camp's inception in 1995, but after further discussion, organizers agreed to rebrand.

"The name indeed was very offensive. It kind of made a mockery of First Nations language,"  Molengraaf said.

Both sides agreed the name change would open the door to more education opportunities moving forward.

"We would love to work with Reverend Marty, his congregation and Camp K this summer and actually visit their campers to talk about how we can work together as allies, as Indigenous Peoples, which I think is so important," Johnston said.

The Camp K committee hopes changes like this will serve as a message to other camps.

"I would, in fact, challenge any of the camps across the country to also be checking if their games, their practices, their name is appropriate," said Jackee Arlein-Roth, the convenor of the Camp K committee.

Molengraaf says he expects the name change to offer teaching, learning and reconciliation.