<div dir="ltr">
<div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136)"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font size="4"><span style="box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:bolder">Repatriation Call to Action:</span> On
International Museums Day the BC Museums Association (BCMA) Calls Upon
All Publicly-Funded Institutions to Repatriate Ancestral Human Remains
and Burial Items</font></span><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><font size="2"><br></font></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><font size="2">May 18, 2021</font></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><font size="2">Throughout
the history of Canada, Indigenous peoples have had their belongings,
language, culture, and even ancestors taken from them and housed in
museums, universities, and private collections around the world. These
actions have been enabled and sustained by legislation adopted to
enforce colonial rule. The ancestral remains of thousands continue to be
found in institutions and facilities across the county – the
grandparents and great-grandparents of living Indigenous people.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><font size="2"><span style="box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:bolder">The
BC Museums Association (BCMA) calls upon all publicly funded
institutions in Canada to take this critical step in reconciliation, and
work collaboratively with Indigenous Nations to repatriate their
ancestors’ remains.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><font size="2">Dan
Smith, former chair of the BCMA Indigenous Advisory Committee and a
member of the Wei Wai Kum First Nation in Campbell River, stated that “<i style="box-sizing:inherit">True,
meaningful and lasting reconciliation must include the return of our
ancestors back to the Nations where they were taken from. 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</i>.”</font></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><font size="2">This
initiative has been led by decades of work already undertaken by
Indigenous communities and leaders throughout the country. We encourage
institutions to support the continuation of these efforts towards
reconciliation by aiding the repatriation of ancestors in accordance
with Article 31 of the<a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent" target="_blank"> <i style="box-sizing:inherit">United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)</i></a> and the recommendations held in the<a href="https://templatelab.com/truth-and-reconciliation-commission-calls-to-action/" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent" target="_blank"> <i style="box-sizing:inherit">Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action</i></a>.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><font size="2">“<i style="box-sizing:inherit">We
have an amazing opportunity to work towards making things right between hundreds of First Nations in Canada and the culture and heritage sector who currently steward their material culture. This should not be a
difficult decision nor cumbersome process. The ancestors are waiting to go home and we should do everything in our power to make that happen</i>” said Jodi Simkin, President of the BCMA.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><font size="2">The
scope of this work should include all ancestral remains and related funerary objects within all collections regardless of whether provenance to specific Nations has been identified. The power of deciding who will accept ancestral remains lies with the Indigenous communities from the traditional territories from which they were removed, not the colonial institutions who currently possess them.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><font size="2"><em style="box-sizing:inherit">“Museums and Indigenous communities have had a difficult history, but I am hopeful that this is changing,”</em> said Jordan Coble (c̓ris), chair of the BCMA Indigenous Advisory Committee and Councillor, Westbank First Nation. <em style="box-sizing:inherit">“We
have a long way to go, but taking this vital step puts us on a path
that sets a bright future for all peoples, for all relationships,
Indigenous, non-Indigenous.”</em></font></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><font size="2">The
BCMA encourages all publicly-funded institutions to support
repatriation initiatives. Institutions must be prepared to take action –
this includes adequate budgeting for repatriation work, building
relationships with Indigenous communities and learning how to support
repatriation practices and, ensuring information about collections is
accessible to communities. Institutions should create a transparent and
responsive process that removes as many barriers as possible, empowering
both the staff and Indigenous communities to act swiftly and
respectfully to requests for ancestral repatriation, setting a standard
of readiness and willingness to be an ally in this process.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><b><font size="2">The
full Repatriation Call to Action pledge and resources to support
museums in taking action can be found on the BCMA’s website: <a href="https://museum.bc.ca/repatriation-call-to-action/" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent" target="_blank">https://museum.bc.ca/repatriation-call-to-action/</a></font></b></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><b><font size="2"> </font></b></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><font size="2"><span style="box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:bolder">Contact:</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><font size="2">Ryan Hunt</font></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><font size="2">Executive Director, BC Museums Association</font></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><font size="2"><a href="mailto:executivedirector@museum.bc.ca" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent" target="_blank">executivedirector@museum.bc.ca</a></font></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(84,88,90);font-family:"Fira Sans",sans-serif;margin-bottom:1rem"><font size="2">250.884.0499</font></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
<br><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div><font color="#888888"><div><span style="color:rgb(102,102,102);font-family:arial,sans-serif"><font color="#888888">The BC Museums Association office is located on the traditional, unceded lands of the <a href="https://vimeo.com/275788251" target="_blank">Lekwungen</a>
peoples (Songhees and Xwsepsum Nations). We respect past, present, and
future Indigenous stewards and recognize that we are uninvited guests on
this territory.</font></span><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><p style="margin:0in 0in 1pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt"><span style="color:rgb(237,125,49);font-family:Arial,sans-serif">BC Museums Association || 675 Belleville Street || Victoria, BC || V8W 9W2</span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 1pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt"><span style="color:rgb(237,125,49);font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14.66px"><a href="http://www.museum.bc.ca/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">www.museum.bc.ca</a></span><font color="#888888"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><br></font></font><br><font color="#888888"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">We have launched our new online learning portal and you can now find the BCMA at <span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><i><a href="http://museum.bc.ca" target="_blank">museum.bc.ca</a></i></span>. Please note that this email address has changed accordingly.</font></font></p></div></font></div><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136)"><p style="margin:0in 0in 1pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><br><span style="color:rgb(237,125,49);font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>