It’s official — this school year will be the first time students graduate from Gudangaay Tlaats’gaa Naay Secondary School in Masset.
Haida Gwaii School trustees voted in the new name for the former George M. Dawson Secondary on Aug. 29, following a June luncheon hosted by the school’s Haida language students where the name was first unveiled.
Translated from Haida language, Gudangaay Tlaats’gaa Naay means “House of the Strong-Minded.”
It is based on a saying — gudangee tlaadsgaa, “be strong-minded” — that was a favourite of the late Haida language mentor, Steven Brown.
In a Facebook post published Sept. 6, the first day of school, the Haida Gwaii school board said the new name is part of a commitment to preserve, revitalize, and strengthen Haida language and culture.
