Artifacts belonging to the Sq’éwlets First Nation were returned home during a joyous, intimate ceremony on Thursday, March 30. The work began at Kilby Historic Site, where three baskets and an oar were officially handed over from the provincial government back to Sq’éwlets.
Chief Johnny Williams called the event a “momentous day.”
“It’s always important for us to come together for such special occasions,” he said.
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Williams explained the ceremony and its various components to a crowd of about 30 people.
“Whenever we come together and we do stuff like this, it’s more than just a little bit of a show,” he added. “This is how we govern ourselves and how we come together. I guess the best way to put it in Western terms is coming together in the House of Commons. That’s where our laws were put down and recognized.”
Williams wore his own hand-woven blanket for the ceremony. While many blankets are bought rather than woven, he explained they used to be made out of the wool of mountain goats, gathered in the spring when the winter coats are shed; the goats would not be killed.
Williams said while there’s been a switch from hand-woven to store-bought blankets, the importance and significance of the blanket used in ceremonies hasn’t changed.
Provincial Heritage Branch director Roger Tinney said the return of these artifacts was five years in the making.
“There’s a lot of background work that goes in to what appears to be a straightforward exercise; there’s a lot of layers to this,” he said.
Tinney said the Heritage Branch recently aligned their policies to better sync with The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), ensuring any repatriation efforts are done in a culturally appropriate way. The province worked with the staff at Kilby as well as the elders and knowledge-keepers within the Sq’éwlets community.
The province entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sq’éwlets First Nation for this repatriation. While the MOU is somewhat administrative and standard, Tinney felt it was something more.
“For me, it represents a friendship and a willingness and an understanding to work together,” he added. “It’s a friendship I’ll cherish for a long time.”
The artifacts will be on display at the Sq’éwlets administration building in the Lake Errock area.
adam.louis@ ahobserver.com
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