Evidence of meeting #118 for Canadian Heritage in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was back.
A video is available from Parliament.
12:40 p.m.
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
I would like to see the treasures saved as well.
Joel, thanks for the deft drafting.
You put your finger on something, Bill. You thought you would give voice to indigenous peoples, and you really took out a megaphone without knowing it.
12:40 p.m.
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
A colleague of mine, Carolyn Campbell, who used to run the continuing education faculty for the University of Alberta, is now doing her doctorate at Oxford University on this topic of repatriating. It speaks to nationalism. It speaks to nationhood. It speaks to reconciliation efforts around the world. People are very interested in this theme.
I have a question for you, Ms. Stevens. What was the conversation like with your counterpart in Melbourne?
12:40 p.m.
Operations Supervisor, Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre
It was amazing. Her name is Genevieve. Genevieve was over the moon and then back. She's just so supportive.
12:40 p.m.
Operations Supervisor, Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre
It's a good journey, yes. She's so supportive and so understanding. As I mentioned, she is first nations as well, and they're also wanting to repatriate some of their stuff back. It's one of these things that enlightened her—and the fact that there is hope.
Right now she's on maternity leave, so it's a waiting game for her to return, but she's on board fully.
12:40 p.m.
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
I will share my thanks with Ambassador Smith as well.
This is propitious, because the Royal Alberta Museum, which will be western Canada's largest museum, is opening its doors October 3. You will have my full support to see this go through, because I suspect that there'll be lots of artifacts we'll be wanting to repatriate to western Canada.
Thank you to all of you for your great work.
12:40 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, witnesses, for being here.
I've been in Truro, Mr. Casey, once a long time ago and recently. I was first in Truro in 1959, so that's probably older than—
12:40 p.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
September 18th, 2018 / 12:40 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
Right. Thank you. I only wish.
It's great to see how Truro has come back economically and has returned to some of the economics that it used to have. It's interesting to see that.
As you know, I spoke in the House in support of this particular bill. In my riding, I have a significantly large indigenous museum in Blackfoot Crossing. In terms of some of the issues—I spoke about it and you've probably listened to some of us speak about it—and the interest in the repatriation of artifacts, I think what you've provided in service is excellent, but how do we strengthen things to make sure that when these artifacts are collected, they are again used for this?
That's part of the problem that Blackfoot Crossing has. They have a wealth of artifacts. Some of them have come from the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, which has one of the largest repositories of indigenous artifacts, but as some of it has come back to them, it's not on display. I've been in there. I know that they're displaying some of the things, but a lot of things they aren't. How do we build this relationship as they're returned to encourage their display?
The second part of this is that when we talk about cost, I think there needs to be.... It's not just the transportation that wasn't addressed, but the expertise in our museum sector, in a sense, because the museum wasn't consulted on this. We need to find a way to support not just the return but also the storage, display and safekeeping. It's not just about returning it. We need a support mechanism through our museum association to strengthen the repository they're going back to.
I think this bill needs to be strengthened in the sense of support, because we have a tremendous museum organization with tremendous skills, but it's not being transferred in this piece of legislation or accounted for. I think that's something we need to do.
Lastly, maybe I'll comment. I own a significant piece of art. It's from an indigenous person who gave it to me. Is this something that I should be concerned about? Holding it personally, could there be...? What is the state of holding aboriginal art that's significant? Am I at risk now of having that requested back? That's something that we have to be careful with here, because there's significant indigenous art out there that is very valuable.
Those are my comments, if you'd like to respond.
12:45 p.m.
Cumberland—Colchester, Lib.
I'd like to respond to part of it.
First of all, there's nothing in this about confiscation if you have a legally acquired artifact. The robe was legally acquired.
12:45 p.m.
Cumberland—Colchester, Lib.
The man bought it in 1843. He died and left it to the museum. It was totally legal, no question.
There's nothing in this about confiscation. I started to tell you about the U.S., and I don't think I finished the story. They have laws in the U.S. saying that an institution that receives federal money must return indigenous artifacts. We're not doing that. We're asking for co-operation. If something is illegally acquired or available or somebody wants to return it—like your art, if you decided to return it—this strategy will help to facilitate that return.
I also agree with you 100% on safe storage and display, because in Brazil they didn't have that and they lost those artifacts forever and ever. They're gone. Imagine that.
This is part of the strategy. We're just scratching the surface here. It is open for the strategy to develop these things as they unfold and as they are needed.
You've raised good issues, and amendments are welcome.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
Yes, and we will do them. I think that's the point: to strengthen this bill. That's what our amendments would do.
12:45 p.m.
Cumberland—Colchester, Lib.
We're open to strengthening it or amending it. I'm convinced that this is really a much more important thing than I thought it was when I started.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
I absolutely agree with you. As I say, we have an indigenous centre and it's large, but yet when the people come there, they're not seeing the artifacts.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
We want people to see those things that they have, with the stories and traditions that go with them. I hear the oral stories. The elders are still telling them, but the artifacts are not part of the stories. They're there, but they're not being.... We want to make sure that this is part of the process.
12:45 p.m.
Cumberland—Colchester, Lib.
This one's in Australia. Hopefully, it will come.... It's in Australia in a closet, we think.
12:45 p.m.
Operations Supervisor, Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre
I totally agree with you. There is a struggle with first nations communities having the ability to properly store and properly tell the story. It does need to be supported. It does need to be helped.
Millbrook is fortunate enough to have that centre, where we actually have the right display case and the right place to store this robe if we do get it back. It has a picture in it right now, but it's set to go for the robe to come back.
I totally agree with what you're saying with regard to the fact that the first nations communities do need support from government to have that ability to store their artifacts properly and to be able to have them available to tell the history and to tell the stories that are meaningful.
I agree with you entirely, and I hope that this helps to do that.
