DATE: Tuesday, October 17th, 2000

PROVINCIAL NEWS/ISSUES

NEWS FOR MINISTRY OF ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS Tuesday, October 17, 2000 SECOND REPORT

PROVINCIAL: HAIDA ANCESTORS REPATRIATED FROM ROYAL BC MUSEUM

CBC RADIO NEWS - BRITISH COLUMBIA Tuesday, October 17, 2000

7:33 a.m. ''A group of Haida are on their way to Victoria this morning, to repatriate more of their ancestors.'' The Royal British Columbia Museum wrote to the Haida three weeks ago to tell them they had remains of twelve of their ancestors in storage. The Haida's repatriation process has been going on for about three years now. Andy Wilson is chairman of the Skidegate Repatriation Committee. He says in the past, they've been to Victoria and to UBC to collect bones and bring them home. Lately they've been further afield.

WILSON: Just recently, about a month and a half ago, we went to Ottawa to get back 150 ancestral remains. And we've gotten some back from down as far as San Francisco, so it's an ongoing thing and the number gets higher and higher.

Wilson says that number has reached about 250 so far. The Haida Committee is now planning a trip to New York and Chicago, where museums hold over 150 ancestral remains from the nation.