A professor from Saskatchewan made an intriguing discovery about the province’s history while exploring the Smithsonian’s collection in Washington, D.C. The professor, Andrew Miller, who specializes in Indigenous studies at the First Nations University of Canada, came across a teepee cover that had been taken from the Kawacatoose First Nation around a century ago.
The teepee cover was pilfered during the 1920s, however, the family continued to pass down the story through generations to keep its memory alive. When Miller was browsing the Smithsonian’s holdings related to birds, he noticed the teepee cover labeled as “Dustyhorn—File Hills,” acquired in 1926. This sparked his memory of a student mentioning that their belongings were in prominent U.S. museums.
Miller, aware of Dustyhorns residing near Touchwood, Saskatchewan, contacted Cory Dustyhorn, the current chief of the Kawacatoose First Nation, to share his discovery. Dustyhorn was familiar with the story of his great-great-grandfather Sîpiskwêsîkan’s stolen teepee cover. Despite being promised payment for the cover, Sîpiskwêsîkan never received it.
After making contact with the museum, Miller and Dustyhorn found the Smithsonian to be cooperative and understanding throughout the process. The Smithsonian acknowledged the need for repatriation of such items that should not be in their collection due to past unethical practices.
The museum was open to returning the teepee cover but wanted to ensure it went back to the rightful community. Dustyhorn recounted a family story linking the acquisition of the teepee cover to an expedition that began in Alaska before reaching Saskatchewan, which aligned with the museum’s historical records.
In a recent statement, the Smithsonian recognized past unethical acquisitions and adopted a shared stewardship and ethical returns policy in 2022 to address these issues. Now, a century after its theft, the teepee cover is set to return to the Kawacatoose community.
Dustyhorn expressed that the return of the teepee cover would strengthen the connection between his ancestor, his family, and the entire community. Plans are underway to establish a museum on Kawacatoose to showcase the teepee cover, with the interim arrangement being its display at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina.