Centuries-old artifacts belonging to a 19th-century Plains Cree chief known as a peacekeeper were returned to his descendants in a repatriation ceremony at the Royal Ontario Museum.
After months of talks, the Toronto-based museum on Wednesday returned a ceremonial whistle and saddlebag belonging to Chief Poundmaker to members of his family.
Pauline Poundmaker, or Brown Bear Woman, has made efforts to bring back her great-great-grandfather’s belongings and sacred objects from Canadian and international collections.
“It’s an honor to be the generation that can bring home these artifacts,” she said in a phone interview.
Under the laws of the Poundmaker Cree Nation, descendants are required to initiate and direct repatriation. Poundmaker’s family members are scrambling to bring home his personal belongings, which they say were taken from him under duress.
Pauline Poundmaker traveled from Saskatchewan to Toronto this week with nine others, including other direct descendants, to attend a repatriation ceremony with museum staff.
It was the first time she was able to see the two items that belonged to her great-great-grandfather in person. The special moment is sacred and emotional, she said.
“I had a moment there where I couldn’t hold back the tears. The importance of being here and the honor of bringing home these artifacts. It’s hard to describe.”
A famous 19th century indigenous leader
The museum acquired the two items nearly a century ago. The saddlebag is made of tan leather and adorned with red, yellow and green beads. The museum said the item was sold to them in 1924.
The ceremonial whistle is dark in color and made of ceramic or stone. Like many First Nations artifacts used in ceremonies, the whistle may not be photographed. The museum said in an email information from the donor that Chief Poundmaker presented the whistle to a doctor in 1885, after which it was passed on to others in the medical field before the museum received it in 1936.
The ROM did not make representatives available for interview prior to the repatriation ceremony.
Poundmaker, whose Cree name is Pitikwahanapiwiyin, is considered one of the great Indigenous leaders of the 19th century and played a key role in the negotiations that led to Treaty 6, which covers the west-central portions of present-day Alberta and Saskatchewan.
A number of the leader’s belongings were stolen and placed in museums after the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 – the same year Poundmaker was convicted of treason for leading his warriors against Canadian forces after government soldiers killed some 1,500 indigenous people, including women and children, had attacked . He served seven months before dying shortly after his discharge.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a formal apology and exoneration for Poundmaker to the First Nation that bears his name in 2019.
As the Poundmaker family strives to bring Chief Poundmaker’s personal artifacts home, they continue to be inspired by his willingness to stand up for what he believes in a peaceful way, said Pauline Poundmaker.
Parks Canada last year returned a ceremonial staff believed to have belonged to Chief Poundmaker to be displayed at the Saskatchewan museum named in his honor.
address damage
Pauline Poundmaker says the growing movement of institutions repatriating objects shows a willingness to address past harms to tribal peoples.
“It’s a beautiful change to have different relationships and make a different story,” she said.
The saddlebag is on display at the Chief Poundmaker Museum and the ceremonial whistle is kept safe at the museum. The museum’s job is to ensure it is equipped with the tools to preserve the items for generations to come, said Pauline Poundmaker.
“We want to continue to preserve our history and honor history.”
She was told there were about 20 other items spread across North America and Europe. The family is in the early stages of repatriating two more items.
The Royal Ontario Museum last year temporarily closed its gallery dedicated to First People art and culture to work with Indigenous museum professionals on so-called critical changes to the gallery.
