The salmon farming giant Marine Harvest plans to rebrand itself as Mowi starting on Jan. 1, but a Campbell River artisan says the new trademark is too close to his traditional Indigenous name, which he uses for his jewelry business.

Ernie Smith said in a media release that his family gave him the traditional name Mowisaht during a naming ceremony on March 16, 2002, following the death of his father. The name has been in his family for many generations, he said.

B次元官网网址淣aming ceremonies are significant to our people, our names are tied to our family,B次元官网网址� Smith said in the statement. B次元官网网址淚 feel proud of my heritage and never thought that I would have to take measures to protect my family name.B次元官网网址�

He met with company officials to discuss the issue on Tuesday morning, but they havenB次元官网网址檛 yet arrived at a solution, Smith said.

B次元官网网址淚 was really happy that they contacted me yesterday to meet with them,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淗opefully, we come up with some sort of solution to mitigate the problem.B次元官网网址�

The companyB次元官网网址檚 Canadian subsidiary, which is based in Campbell River, said it respected SmithB次元官网网址檚 concerns and would continue to meet with him.

B次元官网网址淢arine Harvest has met with Ernie Smith to hear his concerns which he expressed and we respect, and expect to discuss this with him further over the coming days,B次元官网网址� said Jeremy Dunn, community relations and public affairs director for Marine Harvest Canada, in an email to the Mirror.

Smith, who runs the Awatin Aboriginal Art Gallery in downtown Campbell River, began making jewelry in 2015 and decided to use his traditional name to brand his designs. He said he doesnB次元官网网址檛 hold any formal copyright to the name.

B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 think IB次元官网网址檇 ever have to save my native name for business,B次元官网网址� he told the Mirror, adding that he signs his jewelry MOW.

The new Mowi brand now threatens to eclipse his company, Mowisaht Designs, he said.

Smith said he takes a neutral position on the controversial open-net pen aquaculture industry, but he accused Marine Harvest of cultural insensitivity.

B次元官网网址淢y name comes from my family and my name canB次元官网网址檛 change,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e are an authentic aboriginal art companyB次元官网网址� and (itB次元官网网址檚) not appropriate to have the name associated with Marine HarvestB次元官网网址檚 resource-based company.B次元官网网址�

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Smith said he doesnB次元官网网址檛 think the company deliberately set out to culturally appropriate his heritage, but said B次元官网网址淚 do expect their organization to have some cultural sensitivity.B次元官网网址�

He said traditional names are tracked by historians, families and witnesses at potlatch ceremonies. B次元官网网址淢owisB次元官网网址� refers to a place in the territory of the Nuu-chah-nulth, while B次元官网网址�-ahtB次元官网网址� refers to where a people come from, Smith said.

The Nuu-chah-nulth are Indigenous peoples whose traditional lands cover a large area of Vancouver IslandB次元官网网址檚 Pacific coast and inland sections of the Island. Smith is originally from Ehattesaht First Nation, which is adjacent to Zeballos.

Marine Harvest opted to change the name of its worldwide operations during a special assembly of shareholders on Dec. 4 in Bergen, Norway, where the company is headquartered.

When the multinational seafood company announced its name change last week, it stated that AS Mowi was the companyB次元官网网址檚 original name when it was founded in the 1960s.

The name change is meant to pay tribute to former CEO Thor Mowinckel, who is described by Marine Harvest as a B次元官网网址減ioneer in salmon smolt productionB次元官网网址� and one of the companyB次元官网网址檚 founders. Marine Harvest also said the name also refers to a type of salmon developed by the company, the Mowi breed.

The name change immediately generated backlash among relatives of Thor Mowinckel who oppose open-net pen aquaculture, with Frederik W. Mowinckel calling the industry unsustainable.

The companyB次元官网网址檚 name change comes as it prepares to introduce a new line of Mowi-branded products. The company has said the Mowi brand will B次元官网网址渃ommunicate our integrated value-chain from feed to the consumerB次元官网网址檚 plate.B次元官网网址�

david.koch@campbellrivermirror.com
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