A professor from Saskatchewan has unearthed a fragment of the province’s past within the Smithsonian’s collection in Washington, D.C., and it is set to return home.
Andrew Miller, who teaches Indigenous studies at the First Nations University of Canada, was perusing the Smithsonian’s inventory while researching birds when he came across a teepee cover that had been taken from the Kawacatoose First Nation nearly a century ago.
The cover was removed during the 1920s, but the family has preserved its legacy by passing down its story through the generations.
Miller recalled a student mentioning, “Oh, yes, we have items that are housed in major museums in the United States.”
As he browsed the catalogue, Miller remembered that comment and spotted the teepee cover labeled “Dustyhorn—File Hills,” with an acquisition date of 1926.
He noted that there are Dustyhorn family members around Touchwood, Saskatchewan, and contacted Cory Dustyhorn, the current chief of Kawacatoose First Nation, regarding his discovery.
Dustyhorn was aware of the narrative surrounding the theft of his great-great-grandfather Sîpiskwêsîkan’s teepee. Sîpiskwêsîkan had been promised compensation for the teepee cover, which he never received.
This historical image depicts the teepee cover at the time it was first acquired by the Smithsonian. (Submitted by Andrew Miller)
Miller and Dustyhorn communicated with the museum, and Miller noted that the Smithsonian was very receptive throughout the process.
“They understand that some items in their collection were acquired during a time when ethical considerations and respect for different cultures were not as they are today,” Miller stated.
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The museum was attentive to Dustyhorn’s account and was open to the return of the teepee cover, ensuring it would go to the appropriate community.
“I shared a story that has been passed down in our family about someone who began collecting artifacts in Alaska and eventually made their way to Saskatchewan, where they took our teepee,” Dustyhorn recounted.
He mentioned that museum representatives interrupted him to confirm that the individual who acquired the teepee in 1926 indeed began his journey in Alaska, validating the oral history.
An image of the teepee featured in the Smithsonian Institute’s online catalogue. (Submitted by Andrew Miller)
In a public statement, the Smithsonian admitted that some artifacts in its possession were obtained unethically. At that time, the Indian Agent served as a mediator between Indigenous owners and buyers.
In 2022, the museum implemented a shared stewardship and ethical returns policy aimed at addressing some of its previous unethical practices.
“This policy recognizes that ethical standards and professional practices in collecting have evolved, and that the Smithsonian currently holds items it would not have acquired had contemporary standards been in effect,” the statement indicated.
Now, a century after its theft, the teepee is on its way back to its original community.
Dustyhorn expressed that this return will enhance the bond between him, his family, and his community with his ancestor.
Plans are underway to establish a museum in Kawacatoose to showcase the teepee, but for the time being, it will be housed at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina.