Heiltsuk Nation repatriates chief’s seat from Royal BC Museum after 113 years

Steve Carpenter was a small child the last time he saw the chief’s seat built by his great grandfather, Heiltsuk master carver , and chief Captain Richard Carpenter. He saw it in an old black and white photograph with Captain Carpenter posed behind the settee-style bench. The photograph has long been lost. But yesterday, Steve could see the seat, which had sat unassembled at the Royal BC Museum (RBCM) since 1911, in person for the first time.

The seat is finally on its way home to Bella Bella, Heiltsuk First Nation’s territory on BC’s coast. To celebrate its repatriation, a ceremony and blessing was held at Mungo Martin House with members of Heiltsuk, Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw, Songhees, and Esquimalt First Nations in attendance. Carpenters' descendants were also there, Steve included. In many ways, this was a family affair.

The seat features intricate form-line designs, with the eagle and killer whale family crests of the Carpenter family carved throughout.

Captain Carpenter built two additional seats—one currently resides in a Berlin museum, the other was a gift to the Kitkatla people—but they weren’t meant to be used by the Heiltsuk, so Carpenter made them smaller than the original.

It wasn’t fully assembled at the RBCM, so museum workers and Heiltsuk members alike were surprised by its size—and its beauty—when it was assembled.

Captain Carpenter would have sat on the seat when it was in use—a brief decade-long chapter before it was sold to the RBCM. Still, the seat’s base has been worn down from that period of use.

The seat's carvings are recognizably Carpenter's handiwork. Photo: Robyn Bell / Capital Daily

It was once an important feature at potlatch ceremonies, which were banned by the Canadian government from 1885 to 1951. It was meant to be present for ceremonies and celebrations, surrounded by Heiltsuk song and dance. Instead, it sat in a silent museum. Heiltsuk Chief Marilyn Slett said this is the first time it has been in the presence of music in “113 years.”

The way artifacts are displayed in museums often goes against their traditional purpose. For the Heiltsuk, having masks, regalia, and instruments sitting inside a glass display box goes against the proper storage, which would have the items stored with a blanket overtop, not to be seen when not in use. Some items must be buried when no longer usable. The nation hopes that, with more items returned in the future, it will be able to handle each treasure in its culturally specific way.

“We know, and [Songhees and Esquimalt] know that a lot of the pieces that are in here were not taken correctly,” said Elroy White, Heiltsuk member and repatriation coordinator. ”The Royal BC Museum has decided that it's time for a lot of these to go.”

Heiltsuk Nation had three items repatriated in 2022, with more to come according to Slett. She told Capital Daily that the nation is in the process of repatriating “a number” of other artifacts and treasures that she hopes to see return home soon.

“We're really excited to be able to bring this one home and have those discussions about bringing the others home,” said Slett. “That's where they belong. They belong in our community. They’re a part of us.”

When the seat returns to Bella Bella, there will be a massive celebration for the Heiltsuk. Serendipitously, the Carpenters had scheduled a family reunion the day after, not knowing this piece of their family history would be back on their lands.

Feathers are sprinkled on the seat as part of a blessing ceremony. Photo: Robyn Bell / Capital Daily