B.C. museum returns chief's seat to Heiltsuk First Nation

Members of the Heiltsuk Nation on British Columbia's Central Coast are celebrating the first steps in the repatriation process for an elaborately carved chief's seat.

A statement issued by the nation says a blessing and repatriation ceremony took place Friday at the Royal B.C. Museum and Archives, where Heiltsuk leaders, archaeology specialists, and family members gathered to receive the seat carved around 1900 by renowned artist and chief Captain Richard Carpenter, Dúqvay̓ḷá Hawallis, of the Yisdaitxv tribe.

The chair has been in the museum's collection since 1911, and Heiltsuk Chief Marilyn Slett says its return is a powerful and emotional moment.

Slett is a descendant of Carpenter, whose work has been on display worldwide.

"Hawallis's artwork has been on display in museums and collections around the world, from Berlin and London to Alaska and New York," Slett said. "This is the first of his treasures to return home so that we can all enjoy and benefit from his work."

The seat features designs including eagle and killer whale crests of the Carpenter family, and it will now be transported back to Bella Bella for a special celebration in the nation's ceremonial Big House.

The seat had previously been on display in the museum but was not displayed prior to the repatriation.

The nation says Carpenter was born in 1841 and became a master woodworking artist and second-ranking chief who lived to the age of 90. 

"His life parallelled his craft, as he both transformed materials and told stories through them while also helping steward Heiltsuk society and culture through the massive changes wrought by contact and colonialism," the nation said.

Carpenter became known for his ornate works, including regalia, bentwood boxes and canoes. Later in life, he began selling pieces to collectors. 

He was also the first lighthousekeeper for the Dryad Point lighthouse, a role he held until 1930, one year before his death.

Museums across the country and other parts of the world are being asked to repatriate items to their rightful Indigenous owners. 

Article 31 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) enshrines the right of Indigenous Peoples to control and protect their cultural heritage, including designs and art.