Fifteenth International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

Repatriation in Canada is highly situational, with little governmental oversight to monitor or regulate the process. This places the onus on Indigenous communities to advocate for returns, often without any material support beyond what they can provide themselves, including direction on where to start. The ongoing separation of these belongings from their communities continues to affect the health and identity of living peoples. Today, many Indigenous communities are engaged in efforts of resilience, which include the revival of ceremonies and traditional teachings. To do this important work, they need to be able to access their sacred and ceremonial belongings and reconnect them with their community. This paper discusses some of the barriers to repatriation in Canada and possible steps to improving communication between museums and Indigenous communities. It presents a pilot issue in a series of booklets aimed at providing publicly accessible, reader-friendly resources for Indigenous communities. The purpose of this first booklet is to provide background information on the acts and policies that could be encountered during their repatriation journey, and to point to ways forward where policies do not yet exist. This example is discussed in the context of repatriation and within a larger conversation around accessibility and community-institutional partnerships.