In Vancouver, the vast majority of names we use to identity the land around us, from mountains to street names to even the name of our city itself, was chosen by white settlers. When we fail to acknowledge the names that have been used for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years before colonization, Indigenous stories and history become background noise to the white narrative - that light radio static easily ignored. Teachings about the land we live on have continually started with the arrival of Europeans. By acknowledging the true names of the land, learning Indigenous history, and reconciling all that was stolen by colonizers, we can take a step toward changing the current narrative.

The Two Sisters are primarily known by their European-chosen names of the "Twin Peaks" and "the Lions". Thanks to this mountain top, we have the BC Lions football team, the Lions Gate Bridge, Lionsgate Hospital, and Lionsgate Entertainment. These names supposedly pay tribute to the beautiful sight. However, by favouring the name "The Lions," tribute is given to the white narrative of the two peaks, rather than the entire history of the mountain and its Indigenous signiticance. The name of "the Lions" holds nothing close to the significance of "The Two Sisters". "The Lions" was chosen as a name for this historic site because the peaks reminded the Premier of New Brunswick, John Hamilton Gray, of British lions like the ones sitting in London's Trafalgar Square.

The name of "The Two Sisters" gives recognition to the Squamish legend about the two daughters of the Squamish chief. These "girls with the eyes of April, the hearts of June" asked for their coming of age ceremony to include a peaceful supper with the enemy, in the midst of a war. Their father asked the young men of his people to greet the enemy and invite them to join him in a feast honouring his daughters. They came bringing families in a feast of "Great Peace." A strong bond was created between the two sides, ending the war. As a result of this great deed, initiated by the two women, the Sagalie Tyee — the creator and the god of all people in Squamish legends — immortalized the sisters and set them on the mountain crest to form two peaks and guard the peace of the canyon below.

The story is now available to a wide breadth of people, by way of E. Pauline Johnson, a famous Canadian poet of mixed European and Mohawk ancestry. She retold legends of the Vancouver area through the words of Joe Capilano (Sa7 plek), Chief of the Squamish Nation. Capilano is another word used to name many sights, places, and businesses across BC. It is the anglicized world for Capiano, a name for the local people and a title of honour for Squamish leaders. It is an honour that Joe Capilano and his wife Mary (Lixwelut) earned in their journey of activism, where they advocated for hunting rights, protection of burial sights, and the lifting of the ban on potlatch ceremonies. As well, they demanded that Indigenous people be consulted about laws concerning their rights, such as the Indian Act. This name of honour has now been commercialized and its significance is lost in translation to non-Indigenous settlers. We put such importance on names. How we refer to people, things, feelings, and places carries significant weight in today's society. Yet, we have put aside names with thousands of years of history because two peaks reminded one man of lions. It is time to change the narrative. It is time to see the stories.