Windspeaker June 22, 1990

t P59 I Ig`P Receivcd! Rrçu ta Our salute to grads Wayne Courchene June 22, 1990 North America's No.1 Native Bi- weekly Newspaper Volume 8 No.7 Toe to toe (Left to right) George Kipp, George Kicking Woman and George Heavy Runner argue with Provincial Museum of Alberta director Philip Stepney over sacred bundles and pipes they asked to take back home to Montana's Blackfeet Indians. Jeff Marow Bundle quest leads to tug-of-war By Jeff Morrow yers after a brief struggle with going to come back to Alberta Windspeaker Staff Writer security guards over sacred In- armed with legal advice from 'It got nasty. Everyone was dian bundles bought recently band lawyers. EDMONTON from a Montana collector. Brewer said she and the other pushing and shoving. All we During an unplanned cere- Natives were manhandled and Furious Blackfeet Indians mony to "smudge" one of the threatened by security guards were doing was trying to keep stormed out of the Provincial medicine pipe bundles on dis- during the foray. these guards from grabbing Museum of Alberta Wednesday play at tite Scriver exhibit, mu- It got nasty," she said. "Eve - vowing to return with their law- seum director Phil Stepney got ryone was pushing and shoving. the bundle.' into a tug -of-war with aBlackfeet All we were doing was trying to Indian who attempted to flee keep these guards from grabbing with the artifact. the bundle," she said. tana and southern Alberta were Stepney closed the exhibit Brewer and the other Natives at the museum to make an im- MORE ON THE area to media, leaving only were escorted out the front door passioned plea to Stepney for the Blackfeet Indians and security by security in full view of Ed- return of three of the sacred arti- SCRIV guards in the room after elders monton police officers on hand facts. appealed to him to allow Black- in the event of another confronta- During a two -hour session COLLECT! N feet holy women to perform the tion. with 30 Blackfeet descendants, PAGE 2 AND 11 holy ritual. Museum spokesman David Stepney agreed to negotiate for F After the smudging, Brown- May insists museum security the future return of the relics. ing, Montana Native George was not beefed up in anticipation Choking back tears, Browning questing a private ceremony. Kipp grabbed the sacred pouch of the Blackfeet arrival. How- Blackfeet Gordon Belcourt said Brewer, who acts as a liaison z and announced he was going to ever, guards, equipped with ear- he is relieved Stepney made a between the Montana Blackfeet return it to his people. Stepney plugs and walkie talkies similar step toward repatriating the and Blackfoot Indians of south- then stepped in to claim the to those used by American secret bundles but vowed to keep con- ern Alberta, said a Blackfeet dele- bundle. service agents guarding the tinued pressure on the museum gation is on its way to Washing- According to Kathy Brewer, a president, were spotted tailing to make sure the promises are ton, D.C. to meet with Canadian Blackfeet who lives on the Blood the Blackfeet through the mu- kept. and American officials who will reserve in Stand Off, security seum halls. After the meeting Stepney be deciding the fate of the Black- guards intervened in the tussle Sean Cassidy, who guards the took the Native delegation to feet artifacts. between Kipp and Stepney pull - Scriver collection where the view the collection where the The chairman of the Ameri- ing the two men apart. sacred bundles are located, told confrontation took place. can Senator Select Committee on Blackfeet elder George Kick - Windspeaker he was instructed to "They assured me the bundle Indian Affairs is working to es- ingwoman convinced Kipp to keep a "closer watch" over the would go back to the exhibit," tablish some dialogue between leave the bundle in hopes of re- display because of the arrival of Stepney said later. "They gave the Montana Blackfeet and the turning to the museum later with the Blackfeet. me their word." provincial museum for the pos- a contingent of Blackfeet elders The 1,500 -piece Blackfeet col- The incident was reminiscent sible repatriation of the artifacts to publicly rotest the museum's lection was recently bought from of the 1975 plot by Blood elder to the reserve. holding of their spiritual arti- Montana collector Bob Scriver Many -Grey -Horses who fled the Senator Daniel Inouye will be facts. Kipp also told museum for $1.1 million (U.S.). museum with the Longtime meeting with Canadian embassy officials Montana Blackfeet were Blackfeet elders from Mon- Medicine Pipe Bundle after re- officials in Washington, D.C. J PAGE 2, WINDSPEAKER, JUNE 22, 1990 Scriver accused of violating trust By Rocky Woodward when he sold those Indian for three sacred pipes and Windspeaker Staff Writer items," said Kipp at a meeting bundles to be returned to the with provincial museum acting Montana Blackfeet. EDMONTON director Philip Stepney. "We want to take them home Kipp said the sale of the but Stepney said museum items Tears flowed and angry Scriver collection now means were loaned before and were words erupted at the Provincial there will be five artifact collec- never returned," Kicking Museum of Alberta as Blackfeet tors knocking at the doors of Woman said. Indians accused Robert Scriver of every Indian family. The Scriver collection contains selling them out. "For one sacred bundle he more than 1,500 items dating Scnver sold his collection of (Scriver) was paid $125,000, a back to the mid- 1800s. Blackfoot artifacts to the mu- bundle he paid little for. Now The collection was a family seum for $1.1 million (U.S.). The collectors will come to Native effort began by Robert Scriver's exhibit opened June 4. people like we are grab bags and father, Thaddeus, who passed Over 40 delegates from Indian take what little culture we have the legacy on to his two sons. bands in southern Alberta and left," Kipp said. Many of the elders from the Browning, Montana met with Kipp said the museum must Peigan, Blood, Blackfoot and museum officials to demand the return the sacred bundles and Montana Blackfeet nations said return of some of the sacred In- pipes the Montana Blackfeet are the trip was an historic event. dian artifacts. asking for "so that in 10 years an "This is the first time the Montana Blackfeet bundle Indian won't be hanging next to Blackfeet Confederacy has come holder George Kipp said Robert the bundles." together as one voice," said Salver violated his position of In his emotional speech Kipp Blackfeet member Gordon Bel - trust as a pipe holder when he said he holds the museum and court. sold his collection to the Alberta the provincial government re- "We are a small number here government. sponsible for stealing Indian cul- but we represent 30,000 people He said Indian philosophy is ture. and many more who consider "you trust a man for what he is In a closed door conference themselves Blackfeet descen- and who he is. with Stepney, Blackfeet elder dants. The struggle to return "But Scriver violated that trust George Kicking Woman asked what's ours will go on but it doesn't have to. Just give us back the things holy to our people," Belcourt told Stepney. Blackfeet speaker George Peguis School Board Heavy Runner said the process of how Indian items left Brown- ing, Montana was not upfront. Rocky Woodward Heavy Runner accused Alberta Culture and Multiculturalism Minister Doug Main (left) Education Authority Stepney of wearing an invisible and provincial museum director Philip Stepney (right) examine coat when he collected items the Scriver Collection with Robert Scriver Requires from Scriver in Montana. He said the museum has been meeting that took place in a small "This reminds me of a doctor able in the past to deal with room where elders and museum One Business Education Teacher who stole skeletal remains. He North Peigan Indians openly. officials sat in a circle, a Montana writes in his story he had a long "We want to see if we can find Blackfeet elder left the room after 1990 coat he put stuff into and where everyone can get what hurling angry words at Stepney. September sneaked off and bragged about we're after. It's very important "When you took those arti- it. we find some sort of common facts you were told 'Don't go High School Program "Your coat was invisible and I ground," Stepney said. across the mountains (through Must be knowledgeable with computers. saw you bra ng in your writ - In discussion with the Mon- Blackfeet country).' You were ines about st, ' Heavy Runner tana elders, who wanted the re- told to go 250 miles to Missoula Send complete resume with education, dates, said. turn of a medicine pipe and the (Montana), then to Lincoln and Stepney said it was not brag- Natois buundle, Stepney said it is back to Cutbank. and work experience and three references to: ging but a sense of accomplish- much more complicated than "Why wouldn't you folks go ment he wrote about in his book. just handing them over. back across our reservation? You Mr. W.C. Thomas "We were able to stop this "I do believe in what you're were afraid there was a leak and collection from being sold out of trying to do and have mentioned there was. Superintendent the country, out of North Amer- this on numerous occasions but "When you start treating In- ica.

Load more