丁香园AV

鈥淲e are grateful to collectively tell a new story that turns the colonial gaze onto itself by acknowledging the complexities of our pole鈥檚 theft, its intergenerational absence from our community and the persistence needed to ensure that justice for our ancestors prevails. This new story also highlights the responsible commitments made by many who have demonstrated to our global community that it is possible to do the right thing by returning our ancestors, cultural treasures and belongings back to us, their rightful relatives.鈥� 鈥� Sigidimnak鈥� Nox瘫s Ts鈥檃awit, Dr. Amy Parent

Press Release republished with permission from & 

AUG. 1, 2023 (NASS VALLEY, CANADA/EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND) 鈥� The Nisg瘫a鈥檃 Lisims Government (NLG) and National Museums Scotland (NMS) announce that the House of Ni鈥檌sjoohl memorial pole will return home to the Nass Valley this September, in a historic moment for reconciliation. The rematriation of the pole is the result of a year-long discussion and close collaboration between the Nisg瘫a鈥檃 Nation and the museum.

The term 鈥渞ematriation鈥� reframes the concept of 鈥渞epatriation鈥� by grounding the process of recovering belongings in Indigenous law 鈥� and is more closely in alignment with Nisg瘫a鈥檃 matrilineal society.

Following months of preparatory work, a delegation of family members and supporters from the Nisg瘫a鈥檃 Lisims Government will travel to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh in late August to oversee the start of the return. A closed spiritual ceremony will be held on Aug. 28 to prepare the pole for its journey home. The delegation will include: Sim鈥檕ogit Ni鈥檌sjoohl (Chief Earl Stephens), Sigidimnak瘫鈥� Nox瘫s Ts鈥檃awit (Dr. Amy Parent), Shawna Mackay, Sim鈥檕ogit Duuk (Chief William Moore), Sim鈥檕ogit Laay虛 (Chief Bruce Haldane), Mmihlgum Maakskwhl G瘫akw (Pamela Brown), and NLG Representatives Nisg瘫a鈥檃 Nation President Eva Clayton- Nox瘫s Wil Luug瘫aamiks Hlok瘫s, Apdii Lax瘫ha (Andrew Robinson), Theresa Schober (Nisg瘫a鈥檃 Museum Curator and Director), Laax瘫Yee (Bobby Clark, Director of Communications and Intergovernmental Relations.

The 37-foot, hand-carved pole will be transported to Terrace, British Columbia, and then driven in a family procession to the Nisg瘫a鈥檃 Village of Lax瘫g瘫alts鈥檃p in the Nass Valley where it will be housed at Hli G瘫oothl Wilp-Adok瘫shl Nisg瘫a鈥檃 - the Nisg瘫a鈥檃 Museum. A public arrival ceremony will be held at Hli G瘫oothl Wilp-Adok瘫shl Nisg瘫a鈥檃 on Sept. 29, with the pole still enclosed within its protective box with a Nisg瘫a鈥檃 feast to follow. The pole will be raised in the following days and available for the public to view later in October.

The memorial pole belongs to the House of Ni鈥檌sjoohl from the G瘫anada (frog clan) in the Nisg瘫a鈥檃 Nation. In 1860, House of Ni鈥檌sjoohl Matriarch Joanna Moody commissioned the pole to be carved by Nisg瘫a鈥檃 master carver Oyee to honour her family member Ts鈥檃wit, who was next in line to be chief. Ts鈥檃wit was also a warrior who died protecting his family and nation.

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