Image Credit: Duncan McGlynn
Image Credit: Duncan McGlynn On September 29th, the Nass Valley in Northwest British Columbia will witness an event of profound significance. The House of Ni'isjoohl memorial pole will return to its homeland, embraced by the arms of its ancestral community. This initiative is the culmination of a year-long dialogue and close collaboration between the Nisga'a Lisims Government and National Museums Scotland. The decision came after a historic visit to Edinburgh in August 2022. Led by Chief Ni'isjoohl (Earl Stephens), Sigidimnak Noxs Ts'aawit ( Dr. Amy Parent , Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at SFU and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Education and Governance), and Shawna Mackay from the House of Ni'isjoohl, this visit marked the first time anyone in the family had seen the memorial pole in over 90 years. "We are grateful to collectively tell a new story that turns the colonial gaze onto itself," said Dr. Parent. "By acknowledging the complexities of our pole's theft, its intergenerational absence from our community, and the persistence needed to ensure that justice for our ancestors prevails." Together, Dr. Parent, and the Nisga'a Ni'isjoohl Memorial Pole Rematriation team, requested the pole's return from the NMS on behalf of the Nisga'a Nation.
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