Regina Public Schools consulting public on Davin School name change

Beginning Monday, Regina Public Schools is consulting the public on a possible name change to Davin School.

Nicholas Flood Davin, the man after whom the school is named, was commissioned to research and write a report on whether the American boarding school system would transfer well into Canada. The resulting report was entitled: “Report on Industrial Schools for Indians and Half-Breeds.”

This report praised the “aggressive civilization” of Indigenous peoples in the United States, and laid out a model to be rolled out in Canada.

In a release, Regina Public Schools explained their reasoning for holding the consultation: “Public scrutiny of the Davin Report, especially in light the history of residential schools and the recommendations of The Truth and Reconciliation Report has precipitated a re-evaluation of the appropriateness of the use of his name on the school.”

The consultation has a total of five questions.

The online survey will be open until December 15, 2017. Regina Public Schools will compile the responses and present recommendations to the Regina Board of Education, who will make a decision on the name change before the end of the 2017/18 school year.