Museum to return relics

Page 2

Skeletons and religious relics stolen from an Indian burial ground will be pulled from a Chicago museum collection and returned to Alberta's Blood tribe for reburial, says Blood tribe executive coordinator Wallace Manyfingers. "It's unfortunate we can't receive the same consideration from Alberta as we have from the American museum," he said, adding that the return of the remains "is an important step" towards righting old wrongs. A pipe, used for sun dances, is being returned to the band from the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History, said Manyfingers. In addition, the Bloods and Blackfeet will be receiving 15 Native skeletons and various other religious relics stolen from a Montana burial ground in the mid-1800s. Five of the skeletons are thought to be remains of Canadian Blackfoot Natives who were buried south of the border, said Manyfingers, who expected their return later this summer. Jonathan Haas, the Chicago museum's vice-president of collections, said the institution has a repatriation policy for human remains and religious articles needed for reburial ceremonies. "Any other requests will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis," he said.