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Bea
Keeper of the Western Door
Canada
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 18 2002
Status: offline
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 Posted - September 28 2002 : 11:52:46 PM
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SKIDEGATE, B.C. - After a century of sitting in boxes on
the shelves of the American Museum of Natural History
in New York , the remains of 48 Haida ancestors have
finally been laid to rest in their homeland. The
ceremonial burial took place Thursday in the Queen
Charlotte Islands.
INDEPTH: Aboriginal Canadians
It's the first time Haida remains have been repatriated
from another country, but there are still many skeletal
remains in private collections and museums around the
world.
Haida chiefs say all the ancestors must be brought
home, even though there are still some institutions that
are refusing to give them up.
No one knows the names of the ancestors. The museum
only kept track of the villages they came from and
where they were dug up.
It was over a hundred years ago that the graves were
dug up and robbed. In theory the bones were to be
studied by scientists, but the president of the Haida
Nation, Guujaaw, says that for years the bones have
sat in boxes and plastic bags on dusty museum shelves.
So far, bones have been repatriated from museums on
Ottawa and British Columbia, and now New York.
Discussions are being held with museum curators in
Chicago where there are the remains of 148 ancestors
and Washington, D.C., where there are seven.
But Chief Johnny Williams says the biggest struggle is
with officials in London, England.
"Right now the Metropolitan Museum of London is the
only one who says it's against the law to return any of
their exhibits."
The Haida Nation says it will continue to bring all
ancestors home no matter what the cost, or how much
time it takes.
Written by CBC News Online staff
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Theresa
Bumppo's Tavern Proprietress
USA
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May 17 2002
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Posted - September 29 2002 : 4:34:38 PM
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Oh, Bea. This is both wonderful and sad news. I cannot imagine how I would feel if I knew that ancestors of mine were stuffed in boxes and shelved somewhere.
Theresa |
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Brenda
Pioneer
Canada
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June 17 2002
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 Posted - September 29 2002 : 11:05:58 PM
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WOW, how interesting! It's really too bad that our government doesn't help ... but I suppose that if it's not a "legacy" event in Chretien's mind, nothing will happen. 
“They say that you're never as wise as when you're a child. We'll never think that clearly again.”
From Arlington Road (1999)
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Bea
Keeper of the Western Door
Canada
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 18 2002
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Posted - September 30 2002 : 2:25:00 PM
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yes, Theresa, it must be awful for the relatives and I hope and pray that they can cut through the red tape asap. But at least something happened and it's a step in the right direction.
I am pretty sure that other Indian nations probably have to contend with the same problem.How awful!
And yes, Brenda, you described Chretien's mind set perfectly..I guess it is Kyoto or nothing..Sigh..
Edited by - bea on September 30 2002 2:30:37 PM |
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Adele
The Huggy Merchant
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May 17 2002
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Posted - October 01 2002 : 03:33:35 AM
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That sounds about right Bea...British museums have a history of not wanting to give anything back once they have them. Elgins Marbles are a good example! There is in fact a act of British law that protects the British Museum from being forced to return any of its 'possessions', and it is assumed, that whilst the Haida remains are probably not of great consequence to the British Museum, if they SHOULD return them, it will open the floodgates for other countries and cultures to campaign for the return of their artifacts.
HM
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Bea
Keeper of the Western Door
Canada
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May 18 2002
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Posted - October 01 2002 : 09:30:52 AM
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Thanks for your input, Adele! Looks like the rules are pretty stringent and may need some loosening..All within good measure, of course.
Our Provincial Museum here in Edmonton had to be less stringent as our Aboriginal leaders are becoming more outspoken and rightly so. In our case it concerned sacred bundles..I personally believe that all human remains should be returned.Why should thye be in a museum??? Disgusting..
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Adele
The Huggy Merchant
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May 17 2002
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Posted - October 02 2002 : 05:04:26 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Bea:
Thanks for your input, Adele! Looks like the rules are pretty stringent and may need some loosening..All within good measure, of course.
Our Provincial Museum here in Edmonton had to be less stringent as our Aboriginal leaders are becoming more outspoken and rightly so. In our case it concerned sacred bundles..I personally believe that all human remains should be returned.Why should thye be in a museum??? Disgusting..
Well I could be wrong on this...but I think I read something about the Haida remains having something to do with a one-of-a-kind burial mask....but I may possibly be confusing this with another news story. The British Museum argues that they have saved a great deal of heritage through careful preservation...items which would most likely have been destroyed without their intervention. However, one would hope that the issue of human remains would be tackled in a more sensitive manner.
HM
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Bea
Keeper of the Western Door
Canada
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May 18 2002
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Posted - October 02 2002 : 10:18:06 AM
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I am also not aware of Haida burial ceremonies.The only thing I remember seeing on TV is that the bodies were being put inside a tree.
I can see that some objects may have been saved ( I'd like to know from whom though?) but of course there is no excuse for holding on to any human remains.
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Bea
Keeper of the Western Door
Canada
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May 18 2002
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![The Mohican Board! [Bumppo's Redux!]](images/wwwboard.gif "The Mohican Board! [Bumppo's Redux!]")
Haida Ancestors Finally Buried At Home
