History was made and celebrated on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in the Norther Village of Laxgalts’ap as the Nisga’a Nation welcomed home a totem pole that was taken 94 years ago.
1860 matriarch Joanna Moody commissioned the pole to be carved by master carver Oyee to honour her family member Ts’awit, who was next in line to be chief, according to the nation. Ts’awit was a warrior who died protecting his family and nation. The pole was taken without the consent by settler anthropologist Marius Barbeau from the House of Ni’isjoohl, during the summer of 1929 when the Nisg̱a’a people were away from their villages for the annual hunting, fishing, and food harvesting season and by 1930 was on display in Edinbourgh.
It landed back in the northwest last week as part of a journey; Nisga’a Lisims President Sigidmnak’ Yats (Eva Clayton) calls “truth and reconciliation in action.” She says the return of the pole is the first of many, as the Nation works to bring home other artifacts held in museums globally.
The pole is not the only stolen item the community is hoping to see come home. There are Nisga’a cultural items in Canadian, France, German and British Museums that they will be seeking in the future.
Premier David Eby, Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, and MP Taylor Bachrach were among the government officials on hand for the ceremony.
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