The Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast are reclaiming part of their heritage
, “a group of seven Nisga’a delegates marched into its Living Lands gallery wearing ceremonial regalia and singing traditional songs. They were there to visit a totem pole that had been taken from their village in Northwestern British Columbia nearly 100 years ago – and which may be headed back to Nisga’a territory.”
Critics marvelled at how a little-known people scattered among the inlets and islands of this rainy coast could have produced such powerful and sophisticated works. Museums across the Western world – including leading institutions in Berlin, London and Washington – joined in the gold rush, arguing that they were only acting to salvage the evidence of a dying culture.
But there are ways to make progress without repatriating every last fish hook. One is to share the treasures, making sure they visit the places they were made through loans and travelling exhibitions. Another is with virtual exhibits and other digital means, a growing thrust of modern museums. Yet another is to change the way the artifacts are displayed, bringing in contemporary Indigenous experts to explain them and making clear the exploitive terms under which they were acquired.