The BC Museums Association is calling on museums, universities and other publicly funded institutions to repatriate human remains and burial items.
"True, meaningful and lasting reconciliation must include the return of our ancestors back to the Nations where they were taken from," says Dan Smith, former chair of the B.C. Museums Association's Indigenous advisory committee.
Repatriation is one of the largest challenges museums face. First Nations have been working for decades to bring home thousands of ancestors and cultural belongings housed in institutions across Canada and around the world.
"We must work together to realize this, and, in doing so, free our children and their children from the sacred obligation we have for finding our ancestors and bringing them home," Smith says.
Many museums have baulked at the cost, time and relationship-building it takes to repatriate effectively.
Jodi Simkin, president of the association, refutes that attitude.
"This should not be a difficult decision nor cumbersome process," she says. "The ancestors are waiting to go home and we should do everything in our power to make that happen."
The association is asking museums to declare their commitment to repatriation by signing this petition.
Institutions that sign are expected to create and publicly share a repatriation policy and list the name and contact information for a dedicated repatriation person. They are also expected to acknowledge that the costs of repatriation should not be borne by Indigenous communities, and budget accordingly. They must also create an inventory of all ancestors held in their collections, including information on known origins and history.
Source: BC Museums Association