A new bill introduced by the New Democratic Party in Manitoba will allow parents to give their children traditional Indigenous names.

"Ian Bushie" of the New Democratic Party introduced the bill that would make changes to allow traditional Indigenous names.

He said, "I think this is the right thing to do." Currently, "Vital Statistics Canada" limits letters from A to Z, with two accents in both English and French.

Bushie said, "I think the system we have now is outdated." Carson Robinson and Zagaite Jok joined Bushie in the announcement, saying that the traditional Mohawk name of their newborn daughter, "Atsinehtsin," cannot be registered on the birth certificate.

Robinson said that his daughter's name means "eternal healing medicine" in the Mohawk language and added, "We want to be able to name our child the way we see fit in our traditional lifestyles."

The family said they will also meet with "Vital Statistics" about their situation, and in a statement on Thursday, the spokesperson for the Minister of Labour and Government Services "Reg Helwer" said that the province already accepts traditional Indigenous names that use letters not included in the law.

The spokesperson said, "The law will be amended in due course to include other names not currently listed." "However, this issue is important and emotional for parents and families, so we need to fix it as we will consult widely with various Indigenous groups and others before introducing new legislation that will reflect the interests of all Manitobans."