Jisgang Nika Collison

A reference for BC Indigenous communities and museums, created by and for Indigenous people working in repatriation.

"Our late friend and brother Rod Naknakim said, 'Reconciliation and repatriation cannot and should not be separated. The two must anchor our conversation and guide our efforts as we move forward collectively with common purpose and understanding.'" - Dan Smith, BCMA Indigenous Advisory Chair, Nuyumbalees Cultural Centre

We are in a new era of reconciliation that involves repatriation - the return of Indigenous objects and Ancestral remains to their home communities - and the creation of meaningful relationships between museums and Indigenous communities. This handbook, the first to be created by and for Indigenous people, provides practical information that will enable each of the 34 unique Indigenous language and cultural groups in BC to carry out the process of repatriation in ways that align with the cultural traditions of each respective community. It also provides information that will be helpful to museums, and to Indigenous communities across Canada.

Educator Information
Acknowledgements vii
Message from Lucy Bell, Head of the Indigenous Collections and
Repatriation Department, Royal BC Museum ix
Message from Professor Jack Lohman CBE, Chief Executive Officer,
Royal BC Museum, and Tracey Herbert, CEO, First Peoples’
Cultural Council x
Part 1: Introduction 1
Part 2: Organizing a Successful Repatriation 13
Part 3: Conducting Research 29
Part 4: Repatriation from the Royal BC Museum 39
Part 5: Repatriation from Other Institutions 49
Part 6: For Institutions Wishing to Repatriate to Indigenous Peoples in BC 61
Part 7: Case Study: Repatriation Journey of the Haida Nation 67
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms 74
Appendix B: Indigenous Museums and Cultural Centres in Canada 77
Appendix C: Organizational Templates, Procedures and Examples 80
Appendix D: Fundraising Resources 98
Appendix E: Sample Letters to Museums 105
Appendix F: Tips for Planning for Travel and Transport 111
Appendix G: Global Museums with Major Indigenous Collections from BC 116
Appendix H: Resources on Education in Indigenous Museology 150
Appendix I: Frequently Asked Questions about Repatriation 154
Appendix J: Repatriation Success Stories 158

Additional Information
174 pages | 8.50" x 10.98"

Knowledge Within: Treasures of the Northwest Coast looks into seventeen of the numerous sites in the Pacific Northwest region with major collections of Northwest Coast material culture, bringing attention to a wide range of approaches to caring for and exhibiting such treasures. Each chapter is written by one or more people who work or worked in the organization they write about. Each chapter takes a different approach to the invitation to reflect upon their institution: some narrate a history of the institution, some focus on particular pieces in the collection, and some consider the significance of the work currently being done for the present and future. They do more than fill in the gaps and background of an already existing discussion. They show that these are places and moments in a much longer story, still ongoing, with many characters - individuals, institutions, communities, artworks, treasures - on different, although often parallel or intersecting, journeys.

Featuring ‘Ksan Historical Village and Museum, Museum of Northern British Columbia, Sealaska Heritage Institute, Haida Gwaii Museum, U’mista Cultural Centre, Museum at Campbell River, Nuyumbalees Cultural Centre, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Royal BC Museum, Vancouver Airport Authority / YVR Art Foundation, Museum of Anthropology at UBC, Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, Vancouver Art Gallery, Stó:lō Resource Centre, Museum of Vancouver, Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, and Audain Art Museum.

“Every generation shapes history according to its own particular needs. The current shaping of social relations between First Nations people in Canada and the settler population is embedded in the essays in this collection. It is about regional museums and their holdings of Northwest Coast First Nations cultural treasures, but it is also about much more. The inquisitive reader has much of value to discover here.”—Ḥaa’yuups

Additional Information
192 pages | 10.00" x 12.00" | Hardcover