Image: Joset Melting Tallow with the sacred bundle at RAMM. With Siksika delegation & RAMM (Jim Wileman)
Held at RAMM since 1920, the sacred headdress will be put back into use by the holy women of the Siksika Nation in Canada
A ceremonial Woman’s Headdress is to be repatriated to Canada by a delegation from the Siksika Nation, who today visit Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) for a handover ceremony.
Siksika Nation representatives, Councillor Strater Crowfoot, Councillor Marsha Wolf Collar, Kent Ayoungman, Herman Yellow Old Woman and Joset Melting Tallow have travelled to Exeter, to repatriate the headdress back to the Blackfoot tribe.
The ceremonial headdress has been held at RAMM since 1920, when it was handed over to the Museum by Edgar Dewdney, a Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories.
Although the exact means of acquisition is undocumented, the museum believes it was likely acquired through the enforcement of colonial assimilation policy.
Crafted with buffalo horns, sacred bird feathers, porcupine quills, and adorned with red cloth and brass bells, the headdress was identified after research by Siksika Nation delegates, in collaboration with Kainai and Blackfeet Nations.
It was once traditionally worn by a holy woman of the Blackfoot Holy Buffalo Woman Society known as the Motokiks. The museum said it is being returned so that it can be used by the holy women who fought to protect the continuity of their culture.
The Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery has previously allowed for the repatriation of Chief Crowfoot’s regalia in 2022 to Siksika Nation.
Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery repatriates Siksika Nation regalia
Joset Melting Tallow, of the Siksika Nation said: ‘The ceremonial Buffalo Woman’s Headdress holds immense sacred significance to the Blackfoot people. Its return to Siksika Nation symbolizes not only the preservation of our cultural heritage, but also the recognition of our history and traditions, and is a profound testament to our ancestors’ spiritual and cultural practices.
“We are grateful to the Royal Albert Memorial Museum for their commitment to honouring and respecting the sacredness of this headdress by facilitating its repatriation.’
Julien Parsons, RAMM’s Collections & Content Manager added: ‘The return of the ceremonial bird bundle represents a significant moment in the museum’s history and our relationship with the Siksika. Over a century after the headdress came to RAMM, we are pleased that it will be used once more for its original purpose.”
