July ̣10, 2021 – Huu-ay-aht Tayii Ḥaw̓ił ƛiišin (Derek Peters) was featured on CBC Radio show All Points West discussing Huu-ay-aht treasures. Huu-ay-aht First Nations has recently secured a $35,000 grant from the BC Museums Association, which will assist Huu-ay-aht in identifying cultural artifacts and treasures that are currently held by the Royal B.C Museum.
ƛiišin is quoted as saying, “That it [grant] is allowing us to get back in touch [and] reconnect with the treasures that have been housed in the museum.”
When asked about how Huu-ay-aht is going about identifying treasures within museums and the process for relocating them, ƛiišin stressed the importance of consulting elders and the histories that they provide in addition to professionals.
ƛiišin emphasized how much the repatriation means to Huu-ay-aht. This process has been a long time coming and the highlight of it all is that it is becoming a reality for Huu-ay-aht to see its treasures returned.
The process for identifying and repatriating these treasures is still in its early stages. Ultimately, once the treasures have been identified and are able to be returned, they will be housed in the cultural centre, which is to be constructed in Upper Anacla. In 2016, Huu-ay-aht celebrated the return of some cultural treasures that are currently housed in the Anacla Government offices.
For the CBC interview: Link
Grant announcement: Link