In the 138 years since an Indigenous house post was chopped down and ordered burned by missionaries, it was sold under duress and damaged.
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Dustin Johnson, cultural program manager of the Gitxaala Nation, said the return is emotional for the nation because it connects them to their ancestors. “So, this one coming back is symbolic of reclaiming our belongings, but also asserting our place back in the world. It’s like the nation standing up again as a symbol of pride, as a symbol of decolonization in bringing back something that was taken so dramatically.”Johnson said Christian missionaries threatened and forced Indigenous leaders to convert to Christianity, while destroying their own cultures. The house post was sold”under duress,”he said.
“I believe it’s the only one of its type that still survives because many were destroyed,” said Pickering. Pickering said the university began thinking about its relationships and responsibilities to Indigenous communities, both in the United States and elsewhere, and the university had published guides about the return of cultural items that are owned by Harvard.Article content
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