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.
1:05 p.m.
Liberal
Gordie Hogg Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC
You mentioned that. I've been to Mount Currie a few times.
1:05 p.m.
Cumberland—Colchester, Lib.
I don't know how he heard about it or what, but this is filtering through everywhere.
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
Gordie Hogg Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC
I'm thinking of the Semiahmoo First Nation, which I live next door to, and the UBC Museum of Anthropology, which has tremendous aboriginal artifacts. I guess because of the mediation or process, I can see the Semiahmoo people wanting to get some things back that are owned by the provincial museum and things like that. I think that's the principle you talked about, which is that it should go back to the community from which it came, at any type of central gathering point. I think there could be some interest in this.
I really like the notion you put into it, and I agree with that principle, but I like that with the mediation you're saying we're trying to find a forum in which you might be able to negotiate and discuss that and put that in place rather than anything further. I like the way you framed it and I like the way it comes about, and I certainly like the principle that you're putting it forward, so thank you for that.
1:10 p.m.
Cumberland—Colchester, Lib.
I'm going to tell you that I hope this starts a conversation with museums or associations that have indigenous artifacts but aren't even thinking about repatriation. Maybe some will think about it. There's no confiscation, but certainly encouragement to talk about it.
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
Gordie Hogg Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC
A number of the Haida people's artifacts are in New York.
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
Gordie Hogg Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC
They've been fighting that for some time. They repatriated some of those, but hopefully this would encourage them and give them the facility and the ability for them to do more of that.
1:10 p.m.
Cumberland—Colchester, Lib.
I think there were some Haida artifacts in the fire in Brazil, were there not?
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
Thank you, Mr. Casey, Mr. Henderson, and Ms. Stevens, for being here today and for starting us off on our study of this bill. It looks as though we're going to have to have a lot of interesting discussions to look into it, and maybe a book to read as well. Thank you very much. That will bring this session to an end.
The meeting is adjourned.