Ceremonial spoons repatriated to B.C.'s Nass Valley in celebration of Nisga'a lunar new year
Andrew Kurjata | CBC News | Posted: February 26, 2018 4:55 PM | Last Updated: February 26, 2018
Century-old items returned by Canadian Museum of History
To mark the Nisga'a lunar new year celebration Hoobiyee, ceremonial spoons more than 100 years old have been repatriated from the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa to the Nass Valley in northwest B.C.
The artifacts will now be displayed at the Nisga'a Museum in the village of Laxgalts'ap. They are the first objects to be returned to the region since the museum's opening in 2011.
Under an agreement with the Canadian Museum of History, Nisga'a artifacts will be shared between the two locations on a rotating basis.
"There's literally nothing like it, not in any other museum collection," said Nisga'a Museum curator Stephenia Halapija.
She said the value of having the objects back where they came from is powerful for people living in the region.
"Being able to connect with, and see these objects up close... and not having to fly to Ottawa to see something that was created by their ancestors ... we're so very lucky," she said.
The spoons were unveiled at a ceremony Friday and will remain on display for the next year.