Qixitasu Elroy White, an elected councillor and hereditary chief for the Heiltsuk nation, felt excited on a flight to the Great Bear Rainforest, carrying an ancient cedar bentwood box. This box, an important cultural item, was returning home after nearly 150 years. Upon landing, artists eagerly anticipated the opportunity to see the box in person. The return of the box highlights the significant challenges that Indigenous communities face in reclaiming cultural artifacts taken from their lands and currently held in museums and private collections.
When he landed, a group of artists were waiting, eager to view first-hand an object they had only seen in books, online and in a museum.
The unlikely return of the box underscores the challenges facing Indigenous communities in a protracted battle to reclaim items pillaged from their lands.
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