Google
Top Blogs List

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Haisla Totem Pole Returning Home

In 1929 a Haisla totem was taken from B.C. The circumstances under which it was removed from not only it's native owners, but Canada, is questionable. It ended up in a museum in Sweden. There it was found in 1991 by a Haisla delegation that had come looking for it. It was displayed with a large metal device to hold it up. The symbolism of this 'shackle' was not lost on the people that first saw the totem.

The totem was originally carved to tell the story of Chief G'psgolox and Tsooda. Long ago, G'psgolox the chief of the Eagle clan of the Kitlope suffered a great loss. All of his children had died. This enormous loss filled him with great sorrow. One day when he was particularly filled with grief, he set off into the forest where he encountered the Spirit "Tsooda". Tsooda asked the chief why he was so sad. G'psgolox told of his misfortune and how he buried his family on a tree top. Tsooda showed great compassion for the chief and gave him a rock crystal and instructed G'psgolox to go back to the burial tree of his family. There he was to bite a piece out of the rock and call on his family to come down from the tree. G'psgolox went to the burial tree and did as Tsooda instructed. His family then return to him alive and well. He saw the good Spirit Tsooda among them and realized that it was Tsooda who had brought his family back to life. After this time, Chief G'psgolox was a great medicine man. Each time he healed someone he would first take a bite of the rock that the Tsooda had given him.

After much negotiating the Swedish agreed to return the totem. The natives had to not only create a replica to replace it but agree to the conditions under which the original would be preserved. I find that offensive in a way. I am trying to just be happy that an important piece of history is returning home, but I find it offensive that the Haisla had to jump through hoops to get back what is rightfully theirs.

Far to often the native history and culture has been misappropriated by those that do not have an emotional and historical bond with these items. Let alone a legal or moral right to them.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home