On December 1, 2022, the Nisga’a Lisims Government announced that a long-stolen memorial totem pole would be returned to the Nisga’a Nation in northwestern British Columbia. The decision follows a formal request to transfer the House of Ni’isjoohl Memorial Pole, made by a Nisga’a Nation delegation to museum officials at the National Museums Scotland in Edinburgh in August.A decision by the Board of Trustees of National Museums Scotland granted this request, and subsequently the decision was approved by the Government of Scotland Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson.

In February 2023, the Nisga’a delegation, alongside staff from National Museums Scotland participated in the first public panel discussion on the Ni’isjoohl Memorial Pole re-p/matriation. The discussion was moderated by Barbara Fillion, Programme Officer for Culture with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. Among the topics addressed, the panel discussed the specifics of this case, especially in relation to wider international contexts of law, culture, governance, education, and decolonizing mandates and actions in colonial institutional systems.

If you are unfamiliar with this topic, this panel is a great resource to learn more!

Watch the panel here

Learn more about the re-p/matriation process and its significance here