7mesh Launches WTV Collection

 From their about page:

"OUR NAME

7mesh isn’t a real word. But it was inspired by a very important one.

Over the last century anthropologists have worked alongside members of the Squamish Nation to document their spoken language. The work of the BC Native Language Project developed the writing system used today, resulting in our town being known as Squamish / Sk̲wx̲wú7mesh. Inspired by this important collaboration, we adopted our name as a show of respect to the People that have lived here for countless generations, and to exemplify our goal of contributing to progress on indigenous issues in our country.

Why is progress needed? The uncomfortable truth is that Canada's history of colonialism and treatment of Indigenous Peoples is dark, and needs to be recognized. As just one example, BC is home to 34 distinct indigenous languages, all of which are endangered. These languages were severely impacted over many decades by government policies designed to eliminate First Nations’ cultures completely.

At 7mesh we are on a learning journey, and we encourage all Canadians to familiarize themselves with the difficult parts of our history, including residential schools and the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Let’s celebrate positive steps - but as settler-descendants and allies, let’s also recognize we have a long, long way to go.

Several organizations champion the revitalization of First Nations language and culture in Canada. Our strongest partnership is with the Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program, see more about the great work they do below. 7mesh has also contributed to:

Sk̲wx̲wú7mesh Lil̓wat7úl Cultural Centre

First Peoples’ Cultural Foundation

New Hope Community Bikes

Reconciliation Canada

IYMBP"

 [FYI we replied to your previous inquiry but not sure if you saw it.]

Hi there, thanks for engaging, these issues are important to us.

We are surrounded by hundreds of landmarks and places that have had English or European names applied over top of their traditional Indigenous names. One downstream effect has been the naming of hundreds of businesses with these colonial-originated names, further contributing to erasure of Indigenous history in our area.

We chose our name 7mesh to stand against this, by using a made-up word that intentionally references the Indigenous name for our town to show respect to the Squamish Nation, and the town itself, and to highlight this issue. Yes we reached out to the Nation when we started our business, and we’ve met with them and supported some of their programs, but no we do not have permission to use our name. Regarding appropriation, we are very careful not to try to speak on behalf of Indigenous peoples, and we do not use Indigenous imagery, art, storytelling, or culture in our commercial activities.

However, standing on the sidelines doesn’t help, and too many people and businesses are. We feel a responsibility to engage and contribute from the settler-descendent side. For sure this means along the way we’ll end up in some grey areas, we’ll make some mistakes, and face valid criticism, and have to apologize or make amends. We are okay with that, because we believe that’s a necessary part of progress when the best path isn’t always clear. For example, at Crankworx we decided not to activate the Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program in our booth. Was that too conservative, a missed opportunity to put a great cause in front of thousands of potential supporters? Or would we have been exploiting the IYMBP to promote cycling apparel? These are issues we think about every day. So thank you again for engaging with us and helping us understand your perspective on how to do better. We apologize to you for any offense caused or damage done with our name and other choices, and we’ll continue doing our best to contribute positively to this process and dialogue.

 @7mesh: this is just leaps and bounds ahead of where we are at in the USA. Much respect. Awesome to see businesses balancing profit and purpose in such a competitive industry, keep doing your thing!!

 @7mesh: Thank you for your response. I know you're trying to do the right thing, however i've looked into this deeper at the Squamish Nation HQ in North Van and as you mentioned yourself "you do not have permission to use this name"
Cultural survival of these peoples depends on THEM having the rights to decide who appropriates their names and naming rights.
Its obvious you make great product, a great many people (settler and First Nation) would love to see you make the correct decision and change your name.
Names, like languages, are sacred; they are bound up with identity.
When it came to naming your company I assume you asked:
What is our intent? What is our personal relationship with this culture or this name?
However if you like something just because it's "cool" or "pretty" and it's not part of your culture, step back.
I'd be happy to discuss further, you know how to get in touch.

 @sirbikealot: We're in agreement on principles, and/but we think context is also important, so we'll reach out to continue the conversation, thanks. One thing we'd like to leave here is that no, our naming was absolutely not about coolness, yes it was intentional, and yes there is context. But, also in our view, having good intentions is one consideration, but doesn't remove responsibility for the impacts of the actions we take.

 @7mesh: Thank you for your very respectful responses.