A professor in Saskatchewan uncovered a significant piece of the province’s history within the Smithsonian’s collection in Washington, D.C., and efforts are underway to bring it back home. Andrew Miller, an Indigenous studies professor at the First Nations University of Canada, stumbled upon a teepee cover that was taken from the Kawacatoose First Nation about a century ago while studying birds using the Smithsonian’s holdings catalogue.
Despite being stolen in the 1920s, the family preserved the memory of the teepee cover’s theft by passing down the story through generations. Miller’s discovery was prompted by a student’s mention of belongings in prominent U.S. museums, leading him to find the teepee cover labeled as “Dustyhorn—File Hills” with an acquisition date of 1926.
Upon recognizing the Dustyhorns in Touchwood, Saskatchewan, Miller contacted Cory Dustyhorn, the current chief of Kawacatoose First Nation, about the finding. Dustyhorn confirmed the story of his great-great-grandfather Sîpiskwêsîkan’s stolen teepee cover, for which payment was promised but never received.
Collaborating with Dustyhorn, Miller engaged with the Smithsonian, which showed understanding and openness throughout the process. Acknowledging historical injustices, Miller highlighted the Smithsonian’s recognition that certain items in their collection were acquired unethically due to past cultural dynamics.
The museum’s receptiveness to repatriating the teepee cover hinged on ensuring its return to the rightful community. Dustyhorn shared a family account of the teepee’s journey from Alaska to Saskatchewan, aligning with the expedition origins of the person who acquired it in 1926, thus validating the oral history.
The Smithsonian has since acknowledged past unethical acquisition practices and, in 2022, adopted a policy emphasizing shared stewardship and ethical returns to rectify historical wrongs. After a century-long absence, the teepee cover is set to return to the Kawacatoose community, fostering stronger connections among descendants and the broader community.
Plans are underway to establish a museum on Kawacatoose to exhibit the teepee cover, with its temporary placement at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina.
