We welcomed a full house and successfully celebrated the importance of Indigenous cultural institution of governance and land tenure, OUR KEYOH SYSTEM. We hope you enjoyed your experience. It was an inspiring to have so many like minded people, sharing in the celebration.
The opening welcomed Honourable Murray Sinclair as keynote speaker who shared the significance of the Susk’uz Headdress Exhibit, the significance to family and the significance to reconciliation. Satsan Herb George, as special guest speaker emphasized the role of the keyoh system in exercising inherent government authority over our people and territories.
The Exploration Place has reopened after two years of exciting renovations and they now offer a band-new updated Museum experience, where Maiyoo Keyoh Society is highlighting our Susk’uz Headdress Exhibit with other cultural Keyoh treasures.
The exhibit supports the vision and efforts of successive Susk’uz, Keyohwhudachun to bring together our ancestral cultural family treasures. The sharing of our ancestral cultural family treasures with communities is essential to the healing process and reconciliation.
Background
About 7 years ago, while doing some research for our Aboriginal Title Claim, our family found our territory Keyohwhudachun (chief) headdress. The headdress was taken by Father Morrice in about 1887, 145 years ago and ended up on display at the Royal Ontario Museum. (attached news article).
The 200 year old headdress, in and of itself is a spectacular piece of indigenous art. However it’s much more that a piece of art, or a relegated museum piece. It represents our indigenous cultural institution of governance and land tenure, the Keyoh system. Our Keyoh system is very strong and we still operate today, that is the real story.
Over the past 2 or 3 years our family built a relationship with “The Exploration Place”, the local museum in Prince George and with the support of many federal and provincial funding partners we arranged for the headdress’ return to central BC.
To celebrate the return of the headdress, the Keyoh cultural institution and in recognition of all the parties who helped make this happen, were brought together for the opening on December 03, 2022. The presentations included the TRC calls to action and UNDRIP and reconciliation. The Keynote speaker were Honorable Murray Sinclair Murray with special guest speaker Satsan Herb George.
Among the guests were Keyohwhudachun (the hereditary chiefs, also known as Keyoh Holders), local Indian act chiefs and councils, media/press and provincial and federal politicians.
We received support from the BC Museums Association, Ministry of Canadian Heritage and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Comments