"Deserted River" adopted 31 July 1945 on Chart #3589, as labelled on BC map 2D, 1914, and on Forestry Map R60M2 (date not cited). Named in association with Deserted Bay, in turn named in 1860 by the British Admiralty. Official name changed to ts’unay stulu 21 June 2023 on 92J/4, as recommended by shíshálh Nation.

Source: BC place name cards & correspondence, and/or research by BC Chief Geographer & Geographical Names Office staff.

ts’unay refers to a major village site and bay in lekw’emin (Jervis Inlet) and ts’unay stulu (river) refers to the river that empties into that bay where the village was located. The English names of “Deserted” Bay and River are based on settler perception and the faulty concept of terra nullius (empty land) (advice from shíshálh Nation Stewardship and Territorial Land Management Division, 2022).

Source: included with note

ts’unay:
• ‘ts’ is pronounced as in the English “hats” but with a short glottal stop at the ‘
• ‘u’ is pronounced like a long “o” as in the English “groan”
• ‘n’ is pronounced as in English
• ‘ay’ is pronounced as in the English word “eye”

stulu
• the ‘s,’ ‘t,’ and ‘l’ are pronounced as in English
• the ‘u’ is pronounced as a long “o” sound as in the English “groan"

ts’unay stulu is not capitalized
(Advice from shíshálh Nation Stewardship and Territorial Land Management Division, 2022).

Source: included with note

Acknowledging with gratitude Steven Feschuk (xwash), Protector of Culture, shíshálh Nation, and Raquel Joe (ch’elkwilwet), Museum Curator, tems swiya Museum, shíshálh Nation, for providing the audio pronunciation.

Source: BC place name cards & correspondence, and/or research by BC Chief Geographer & Geographical Names Office staff.

To hear recordings of place names and learn other she shashishalhem words and phrases, visit shíshálh Nation’s language webpage: https://shishalh.com/culture-language/sechelt-language/

Source: included with note