Remembering and Repatriation

The motivations for and outcomes of repatriation are frequently described within post-colonial processes of self-determination and self-representation. In contrast, repatriation is here considered as an expression of kinship and as a means of producing collective memory and identity. This article considers the repatriation process undertaken by the Haida First Nation to return their ancestors’ remains from museum collections with a particular focus on the material culture made by Haidas to remember, respect and rebury their ancestors. Joined through shared, embodied experiences of making, using and encountering artefacts, it is argued that the repatriation process has reinforced kinship relations and identity through the production of collective memory.