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Funding supports return of First Nations cultural objects
Published 11:40 PDT, Mon June 22, 2020
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First Nations wanting their ancestral remains and cultural objects returned will soon have access to financial support through the BC Museums Association.
“The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is clear: Indigenous peoples have a right to the repatriation of cultural objects and remains of their ancestors,” said Arts and Culture Minister Lisa Beare. “We’re supporting this important work with First Nations because we know that returning ancestral remains and cultural belongings is essential for true and lasting reconciliation.”
The province is providing $500,000 to the BC Museums Association to provide a range of grants to support communities at different stages of the repatriation process. First Nations communities and organizations will be eligible for grants to support repatriation planning, building capacity to take on repatriation projects and encouraging collaboration with cultural organizations.
These grants follow the Province’s $2-million investment over three years to the Royal BC Museum for repatriation activities. The activities included a province-wide repatriation symposium, a granting program, digital repatriation programs, community work and the creation of Canada’s first repatriation handbook for Indigenous peoples by Indigenous peoples.
Applications will open on Sept. 8: http://museumsassn.bc.ca/repatriation-grants/