Dempster said Red Indian Lake is being considered as the final resting place of Demasduit and Nonosabasut, but there was consensus among Indigenous leaders the name was not appropriate. She said Wantaqo'ti Qospem was agreed upon by Indigenous leaders, which is why the province moved forward with the change.
"Since that time there's been a high volume of feedback, and I've actually read most of them," Dempster said.
Name change fostered 'mistrust'
Joe told CBC News on Thursday he's OK with renaming the lake something else, and the idea came about while looking for a peaceful place for a monument to Nonosabasut and Demasduit along the shore. The monument was designed by a young Mi'kmaw girl, Joe said, adding the process has had Mi'kmaq involvement the whole way through.