GITXAAŁA NATION – Gitxaała’s Language and Culture Department, and it’s repatriation project, Ha’amwaal Łagyigyedm Gitxaała (cultural treasures of Gitxaała ancestors), has been working with the Victoria-based Royal BC Museum to return home over 23 cultural treasures to Gitxaała’s community of Lax Klan.
Five staff from the Royal BC Museum (RBCM), travelled to Lax Klan on July 8th, 2025, with the 23 cultural treasures. Upon arrival, a large gathering witnessed a ceremonial blessing provided by Gitxaała hereditary chiefs and elders, working with Gitxaała’s Language and Culture department, at the Community Hall in Lax Klan. The Ha’amwaal Łagyigyedm Gitxaała were cleansed using traditional medicines, as well as singing, drumming and dancing from Gitxaała’s Drum and Dance Group. A feast was held at the William Shaw Memorial Gym in Lax Klan to a packed gathering, featuring feast soup and a traditional seafood smorgasbord.
One of the key Gitxaała cultural treasures discussed and presented at the feast was a hayetsk (copper shield) belonging to Chief Paul Ts’ibasaa, who was then the head chief of Gitxaała. The hayetsk is associated with colonial injustice involving charges of piracy and murder alleged against four Gitxaała hereditary leaders in 1872, including Paul Ts’ibasaa. Judge Matthew Begbie, known in those days as ‘The Hanging Judge,’ presided over the trial. The hayetsk ended up in the hands of a provincial police representative, whose family later sold it to the provincial museum. This was during the period of the Potlatch Ban in Canada, when many aspects of First Nations’ cultural and traditional governance had been made illegal under colonial law, and when First Nations people were struggling to survive amidst colonialist genocide, such as the smallpox and tuberculosis epidemics.
During the July 8th feast, gifts were exchanged between the RBCM and Gitxaała’s Language and Culture Department, including an original drawing from Gitxaała artist William Cooper. Black hoodies with a red hayetsk design were distributed to all the guests at the feast, featuring Cooper’s hayetsk artwork including the Sm’algyax phrase, ‘Ha’amwaal Łagyigyedm Gitxaała.’
This historical return to Gitxaała Nation was made possible with assistance from Heritage Canada’s Museum Assistance Program and First People’s Cultural Council grants. The provenance research provided by the RBCM helped Gitxaała’s Language and Culture department staff in locating some of the cultural treasures after years of collaborative research, including several Gitxaała delegation visits to the RBCM.
The Gitxaała Nation has been working on its repatriation program since 2018, and has been working with the Royal BC Museum since 2021. This has involved research to identify Gitxaała cultural belongings that are currently in the collections of museums throughout the world. Gitxaała is working with over 20 museums to return over 100+ Gitxaała cultural belongings. The 23 Ha’amwaal Łagyigyedm Gitxaała returned home from the RBCM is displayed at the Language and Culture Office in Gitxaała’s ancient community of Lax Klan.
For more information, contact Dustin Johnson at the Gitxaała Nation Language and Culture Department – culture@gitxaalanation.com & 250-848-2100.
Gitxaała Hereditary Table blessing belongings at July 8th ceremony
Txa’gyetk holds old hayetsk while Wilgoosk tells a story of it – July 8th Feast.
Gitxaała artist William Cooper gifting drawing to RBCM at July 8th Feast
Photos created to Jennie Glennie