A First Nations mother in Manitoba whose daughter’s traditional name was changed on the birth certificate supports another couple’s call for changes to the province’s Vital Statistics Act.
“Our names are really powerful and they’re really strong,” said Kakeka Thundersky.
“Why can’t they just accept how we want to name our babies?”
Thundersky’s daughter, Tokala Wači Wiŋ, was born in Winnipeg last year. Her traditional Lakota name translates to “dancing kit fox woman.”
Tokala Wači Wiŋ was supposed to be written together as a first name. Instead, Manitoba’s Vital Statistics Branch made Tokala the first name, turned Wači Wiŋ into two middle names, and didn’t include the accents.
