By Olivia Mar
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Visiting Haida representatives from the Haida Gwaii Museum chat with moderator, Cara Krmpotich. Left to right: Wiiget Jaad Cherie Wilson, Nadine Wilson, Jaadsangkinghliias Desiree Wilson, “Hereditary Leader,” Gaahlaay Lonnie Young, Gid yak’ii Sean Young, and Cara Krmpotich. Image: Olivia Mar/MUSSA.
On Wednesday, October 23, the University of Toronto gathered with members of the Haida
Nation to discuss repatriation. Located at the Multi-Faith Centre, the question-and-answer
session focused on the sharing of knowledge with the Tkaronto community. The panel
discussion was led by Indigenous Initiatives at U of T and moderated by Cara Krmpotich with
five members associated with the Haida Gwaii Museum.
For over thirty years, the Haida Gwaii Museum has actively pursued repatriation. The journey
towards success has been anything but easy. In the 1990s, the Haida Nation found themselves reaching out to institutions and organizations with little support. In 2024, Haida representative and curator, Gid yak’ii Sean Young, says the tables have flipped. Institutions, private donors, and organizations are reaching out to the Haida directly to repatriate items.
Over 500 ancestral remains and hundreds of cultural artefacts have already been given back to the Haida. Items from personal collection and auction return too, though they do find it odd paying for items once theirs.
Figure 2. The Tkoronto community listens to Haida repatriation stories. Image: Olivia Mar/MUSSA.
There are over 15,000 items that belong to the Haida Nation around the world still to be repatriated. Relationship building with communities is an important step. The Haida hope to see better curation by incorporating face-to-face zoom meetings and continuously nurturing relationships with the future in mind.
Want to learn more about curation and repatriation? Check out this article by the fantastic Liz Sullivan for more information.
The Haida Nation highlights the importance of collaboration. To avoid misinformation and inaccuracies, the Haida Nation recommends involving them in curation processes right away. When it comes to book and article writing, the Haida recommend using their authors to tell their stories. Articles and books that are not written by the Haida are inaccurate. Slowing the process down and getting the Haida Nation involved is a great way to get the information right.
For more information about repatriation and Haida Gwaii, check out the award-winning documentary, Stolen Spirits of Haida Gwaii, and the book, The Force of Family: Repatriation, Kinship, and Memory on Haida Gwaii.
Bibliography
Krmpotich, Cara. The Force of Family: Repatriation, Kinship, and Memory on Haida Gwaii. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2018.
McMahon, Kevin. Stolen Spirits of Haida Gwaii. Edited by Katharine Asals. 2004. Toronto: Primitive Entertainment, 2004. DVD.
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