After more than 90 years operating with the Macdonald moniker, the MYS board approved the decision to beg a process to rebrand the organization.

MYS was named after Hugh John Macdonald, the son of Canada’s first prime minister, John A. Macdonald, a widely acknowledged architect of the residential school system.

The volunteer Board of Directors acknowledges the harms from residential schools and the role the Canadian government had in their establishment and unanimously passed a motion to rename the organization during a meeting on June 10, 2021.

“We really feel as a board that the time is right now,” said Shane Storie, Board Chair who announced the change to team members during a virtual town hall. “We will begin the process by engaging with Indigenous knowledge keepers, funders, Manitoba youth, families and other stakeholders to ensure the new name reflects the people we serve, conveys what we do, and represents the values of inclusion, community and the evolution of MYS.”

The organization’s name has been an ongoing conversation for some time said Cheyenne Chartrand, Knowledge Keeper and Auntie. “The change in name is an essential step in addressing the legacy of residential schools and the impact it has had on Indigenous families. Being a large, child and youth focused, non-Indigenous organization, we have the responsibility of being a good relative to the community we serve. Children need action, not another apology. This is us keeping our word.”