Halifax city council has rejected a proposal to consider erasing the name of the city鈥檚 controversial founder from monuments across town.

Halifax founder Edward Cornwallis has been denounced as a racist militant for his treatment of indigenous people. Shortly after founding Halifax in 1749, Cornwallis offered a bounty for the scalps of Mi'kmaq men, women and children. Some historians have compared the order to genocide.

But a motion to consider removing Cornwallis鈥� name from Halifax markers was narrowly rejected in an 8-7 vote.

A Halifax street, a church and a municipal park are named after Cornwallis. A statue of the contentious founder is erected in a downtown park.

Councillor Waye Mason, who introduced the motion, says he was flooded with emails and phone calls from people 鈥渨ho don鈥檛 even want to have the conversation.鈥�

During intense debate, several councillors said they also received heated phone calls from residents concerned with preserving the city鈥檚 history.

But supporters of the motion said it wasn鈥檛 about erasing history; it鈥檚 about getting the facts straight.

鈥淒o you need to celebrate a man who decided that he would exterminate a race of people? I hardly think so,鈥� Mi'kmaq historian Daniel Paul told CTV Atlantic.

Along with the scalping order, Cornwallis also pillaged the Scottish Highlands and helped plan the expulsion of Acadians, according to Jon Tattrie, author of "Cornwallis: The Violent Birth of Halifax."

"All of that of that is scrubbed from history, and it leaves us ignorant," he said.

The Mi'kmaq Native Friendship Centre, which is located along Cornwallis Street, sent a letter to council in April saying it has 鈥渟uffered the humiliation鈥� of being near the street.

"The argument that what Cornwallis did to the Mi'kmaq was the result of different times and values does not wash," the centre wrote in the letter.

Another group has called for the Cornwallis River, located about 100 kilometres northwest of Halifax, to be renamed as well. Premier Stephen McNeil has responded that outcry and took down signs marking Cornwallis River last year.

Speaking with reporters last Friday, McNeil said 鈥減eople will be watching鈥� council鈥檚 decision.

"We can't ignore the good and bad parts of our history,鈥� the premier said. "They're there to be learned from. We need to make sure we tell the full story to our own children and to generations."

With files from CTV Atlantic and The Canadian Press