Ktunaxa Nation

Ktunaxa Nation consists of five bands with a Kinbasket clan of Shuswap living in the southeastern section of British Columbia. For thousands of years the Ktunaxa existed in the area known as the Kootenay region, the Ktunaxa territory is not confined only in British Columbia but also includes area as far south in Montana as Missoula and Spokane Washington. The Ktunaxa language is unique in that it is not associated with any other language in the known world. Repatriation of human remains and artefacts in the museums is part of the ongoing work of the Ktunaxa nations agenda.

Luuxhon House/Gitanyow

The present villages of the Gitksan are Gitanyow, Gitwangak, Gitsequekla, Kispiox, Glenvowell, and Gitanmaax. The fundamental political unit in Gitksan society is the House Group which is a matrilineal descent group. Each house is part of a larger clan grouping. All Gitanyow houses can trace their ancestry to early Frog (Ganeda) and Wolf (Lax Gibuu) clan peoples. Their house territories are in the Nass and Skeena watersheds of northern British Columbia.

The partners in this study are the Luuxhon House of the Frog Clan in partnership with the Office of the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs. The Gitanyow Huwilp Society acts on behalf of Gitanyow houses in a number of different areas including treaty negotiations, promoting involvement of House Groups in conservation management and sustainable development, developing programs and services, and promoting and facilitating Gitanyow culture and laws.

Mookakin Cultural Society

The Mookakin Cultural and Heritage Foundation of the Blood/Kainai is named after one of the Blood Tribe’s foremost spiritual leaders to acknowledge the contribution he made to the preservation of culture and spiritual practices. He was also known as Pat Weasel Head, a Medicine Pipe Bundle keeper, a member of the Horn Society, and later a Grandfather to the Horn Society. He was also renowned healer and herbalist. His knowledge and advice governed the Blood in the successful repatriation of several medicine bundles in the 1970's. In keeping with its namesake, the Mookakin Foundation was established in 1998 to promote and preserve the spiritual doctrines and observances of the Blood/Kainaiwa Nation, promote and preserve their unique language and history, encourage an appreciation by the general public of Blood/Kainaiwa culture, encourage and actively pursue repatriations of objects and articles that facilitate spiritual doctrines and observances, and to preserve data, material and cultural objects of the Blood/Kainaiwa people.

Oldman River Cultural Society

Participation in this research was undertaken by the Oldman River Cultural Centre of the Peigan (Piikani) Nation under the leadership of Dr. Reg Crowshoe in partnership with Dr. Brian Noble (Sociology and Anthropology, Dalhousie). The Cultural Centre, located on the Peigan reserve, is mandated to protect and preserve the cultural heritage of the Blackfoot culture and Piikani (Peigan) Nation. The Centre has been actively involved in repatriations of cultural and ceremonial objects.

U’mista Cultural Society

The mandate of the U’mista Cultural Society is to ensure the survival of all aspects of cultural heritage of the Kwakwaka’wakw. To facilitate this mandate they have a Board of Directors composed of members of the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations and have established a Cultural Education Centre which permanently houses repatriated potlach items, conducts cultural based research, archives cultural data, and promotes cultural activities of significance to the community. Communities serviced by the U’mista Cultural Society include: Kwagu’l (Fort Rupert), Mamalilikala (Village Island), ‘Namgis (Alert Bay), Lawitsis (Turnour Island), Da’naxda’xw (New Vancouver), Ma’amtagila (Etsikan), Dzawada’enux (Kingcome Village), Kwikwasutinux (Gilford Island), Gwawa’enux (Hope Town), ‘Nak’waxda’xw (Blunden Harbour), Gwa’sala (Smith Inlet), Gusgimukw (Quatsino), T?latlasikwala (Hope Island), Weka’yi (Cape Mudge), and Wiwek?am (Campbell River)