POUNDMAKER CREE NATION — Sept. 1 marked the return of Chief Poundmaker's pipe bag, 138 years after its removal when the famous leader was arrested on now-exonerated treason charges and imprisoned in Stoney Mountain Penitentiary.
The owner of the pipe bag, Jon Dickson Waters, previously of Saskatoon and now living on Vancouver Island with his wife, noted that his great grandfather’s brother was a chaplain at Stoney Mountain Penitentiary when Chief Poundmaker was imprisoned there. Waters' ancestors gave this pipe bag to the chaplain and Waters has since returned it home.
“If only this pouch could talk, the stories would be amazing,” said Waters in a press release from Floyd Favel, curator of the Poundmaker Museum.
“It is a remarkable journey and a story of systemic racism and oppression, greed and intolerance, starvation and genocide, lies and deception, propaganda and misinformation from our religious, government and religious leaders," Waters added.
The pipe bag is set to be housed at the Poundmaker Museum and Gallery, following a ceremony on Sept. 1.
Favel wrote in his press release that the pipe bag was taken from Chief Poundmaker's land in chains under the false charge of treason in 1885, explaining the in-depth history of the denial of treaty rights in 1885, the Battle of Cut Knife, and eventual arrest and death of Poundmaker during a period of intense colonialism.
“Repatriation can happen only with items that were unjustly taken from a historical personage and these items should be returned to the community and be visible to all, as part of the historical and cultural legacy of that community.
“Items that were freely given, like this pipe bag, can not be forcibly repatriated but depend on the goodwill of the owner, like in this case. This pipe bag belongs to our community and will be displayed for all to see and I am grateful that direct descendants of Chief Poundmaker are present here today," Favel added.
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