Overview

• The First Peoples’ Cultural Council and K’yuu Enterprise Corporation released paired reports outlining a four-step roadmap for repatriating Indigenous ancestors and cultural items.
• Researchers surveyed 229 institutions worldwide and identified more than 2,500 B.C. First Nations human remains and over 100,000 belongings in collections.
• Survey data show 60 percent of B.C. First Nations have already spent upwards of $1 million each on repatriation due to piecemeal grants and volunteer labour.
• A companion report estimates that funding repatriation for all 204 B.C. First Nations over five years would require approximately $663 million.
• The studies recommend establishing a centralized coordinating body with formal accreditation standards backed by dedicated provincial and federal funding to address chronic under-resourcing.