Scriver exhibit drawing mixed response

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Publicly Blackfoot Indian leaders praise the efforts of the Alberta government to help preserve a part of their heritage lost when Native spirituality was taboo to early North American settlers.

But privately they fear the meaning of their sacred treasures will be lost if they remain hidden behind museum glass.

The unveiling Thursday of the largest Blackfoot collection ever acquired by the Provincial Museum of Alberta in Edmonton has fuelled their fears.

Repatriation of the $1.2 million Scriver collection to Edmonton from Montana is a step in the right direction, said Peigan "ceremonialist" Reg Crowshoe, but he said spiritual artifacts should be left in the hands of Native elders who appreciate their cultural significance.

The Peigan and Blood tribes of southern Alberta are working with the museum to allow Native elders to sturdy the current sacred pipe bundles held in trust by the museum so new ones can be created.

But Crowshoe cringes at the insistence of museum officials that the spiritual artifacts be replicated instead of being taken back to their respective reserves so that new healing powers can be created.

"There's not even a word in our language for replication," he said.

"It's tricky to understand, but the original bundle has the power, not a duplicate."

The Scriver collection, complete with 1,500 well-preserved Blackfoot relics, was sold to the Alberta government by Native historian and renowned western sculpture Bob Scriver after two-and-a half years of negotiations.

The collection contains three sacred Natois bundles including the Medicine pipe, Sundance and Beaver.

Crowshoe is grateful the bundles aren't gathering dust in a basement - and he was instrumental in helping set up the museum display - but he's worried the spiritual meaning of the bundles will be lost to the general public and not serve their original purpose.

His sentiments were echoed by Blood Tribe councilor Peter Bighead who spoke during the opening ceremonies of the collection's unveiling.

He said Native spirituality is disappearing from his reserve - 50 km southwest of Lethbridge at Stand Off - because there's no longer any traditions to cling to.

"Sometimes it saddens me some of my people don't really understand any more what our culture is," he said.

Former Blackfoot reserve chief Leo Youngman gave his blessing but later warned the viability of Native spirituality remains in question as long as the bundles are kept from his people.

"I'm afraid these people just don't understand what they have," he said.

Towards the turn of the century, many western Canadian and American Natives gave their religious and spiritual creations to private collectors after being convinced by missionaries their worship was pagan.

In the last decade, however, there has been a revitalization of Native spirituality which Native elders feared was being forgotten by the younger generation.