Artifacts up for auction

Tsimshian and Museum of Northern British Columbia officials are in a race against time as they work towards obtaining the world's most coveted private collection of Canadian Aboriginal artifacts, which is set to go to auction at Sotheby's in New York on Oct. 5.

The famed Dundas collection contains a number of treasured, sacred objects that originate from the Tsimshian village of Metlakatla near Prince Rupert. The objects were obtained in the mid-1800s by Anglican missionary William Duncan from Chief Paul Legaic as part of the chief's conversion to Christianity.

Shortly after Duncan was given the collection, it ended up in the hands of Scottish clergyman Robert Dundas and is now owned by Dundas' great-grandson Simon Carey, who lives in London, England. Previous efforts to pry the collection from Carey have failed and ended in acrimony.

"Last time, it didn't go well. People went in different directions so, this time, we're trying to keep a low profile in what we're doing," said James Bryant of the Allied Tsimshian Tribes, who are working with the museum to swing an arrangement that would bring the collection home to Canada.

In 1995, George MacDonald, then head of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, exchanged heated words with Carey during an attempt to obtain the collection. He told Carey that ''in a few weeks your great-grandfather was able to collect the treasures of many lineages who were bent on salvation'' and that he never imagined they would be worth millions.

Carey responded by accusing the museum of penny-pinching and creating bureaucratic snags. He also does not believe he should simply give the collection back because of its cultural significance.
Today, the Museum of Civilization says there is little it can do.

"We're very aware of the importance of these objects. They're well-documented, intact, and would be of great value to Canada," said Museum of Civilization Chief of Media Relations, Rachael Duplisea. "But the museum is not in a position to acquire the collection, not at its estimated value. We don't even have an acquisition fund; most of our items are donated."

Duplisea said Canada's largest museum is "in touch" with other museums in the country, as well as Heritage Canada, and trying to devise some way to obtain the collection, but isn't optimistic considering the collection is likely to garner about $3 million.

If Canadian officials are unable to get the collection, there is a fear that it might be split up, with buyers purchasing individual pieces. Among those pieces is a shaman's mask described by the auction house as ''an extraordinary world-class work of art'' and which is expected to fetch up to $1 million U.S alone.

Other significant objects of great value among the 56 artifacts are a war club and a clan hat carved in the shape of a frog, each worth an estimated $500,000.

"The tools used in those days were not as scientific as they are now," said Bryant. "It took longer to make, they were very unique. They're priceless."

This past summer, the Haisla celebrated the return of a totem pole repatriated from Sweden after being removed under dubious circumstances almost 80 years ago.

The acquisition of the Dundas collection is also considered dubious because, although it was willingly surrendered by Chief Legaic, it was basically a condition of him being accepted into Christianity, which brings comparisons to residential schools, where Aboriginal people were forced to renounce their culture and language.

"They (artifacts) weren't obtained fairly," said Bryant. "When the missionaries came, they (the chiefs) were told to give up their names, their regalia, all their possessions. They were obtained for nothing. They weren't paid at all."