Indigenous Canadians win right to use original names after forced assimilation

Government seeks to atone for historical abuses as new policy comes after discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves

Indigenous people in Canada who were forced to use European names on official documents can now apply to restore their original names, in a new policy unveiled as the country's government seeks to atone for historical abuses.

For far too long, Canada's colonial legacy has disrupted Indigenous peoples' Indigenous naming practices and family connections from being recognized," Marc Miller, minister of Indigenous services, said in a statement, adding that the new policy would allow residents to reclaim the dignity of their Indigenous names".