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Celebrating the newly renamed awâsis waciston School

Tue, 24 Sep, 2024

Edmonton Public Schools is proud to announce the newly renamed awâsis waciston School. It is pronounced uh-wahh-sis wuh-chi-ston. 

The Board made the decision to change the name of Prince Charles School in 2021, acknowledging the significance of the awâsis (Cree) program at the school, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s commitment to Indigenous languages and action in education. 

About the name

Together, school staff and Indigenous leaders consulted with Lloyd Martin, Cree Language Keeper, to ensure a new name reflected the spirit of the school community. During a Sundance Lodge, Lloyd Martin was gifted the name awâsis waciston in ceremony. 

awâsis waciston is a Cree phrase that can be translated into English as child nest. In Martin’s words “Any nest is a sacred space, where birds are looked after until they are ready and then they start to fly. So it is with a school, where students are taken care of and when they are ready, they leave the nest and learn to fly.” 

The Board adopted the name, given its strong connection to the awâsis (Cree) program and school community. The school’s new name was announced on September 24, 2024 at a public Board meeting.

Watch the video to learn more about the renaming.