How are we working together?
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport (TACS) is advancing the co-development of a policy framework to support repatriation initiatives (the Policy Framework), building on decades of Indigenous leadership and advocacy. The co-development is guided by an External Repatriation Steering Committee with representation from the First Nations Leadership Council (comprised of the BC Assembly of First Nations, First Nations Summit and Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs), the Alliance of BC Modern Treaty Nations, Indigenous heritage experts and the provincial government.
A cross-government working group supports the alignment of related government policies and communication.
The Policy Framework is intended to provide guidance, standards and a set of tools that will inform the return and control over the care for Ancestors and Cultural Belongings to First Nations in British Columbia. It is intended as a first step in a Provincial response to complex repatriation needs.
A province-wide engagement gave opportunity to identify priorities, challenges and outline necessary steps to advancing repatriation in the province. More than 300 participants from First Nations in B.C. and heritage-holding organizations participated in 13 in-person and virtual sessions, as well as three focused and two validation sessions held between September 2025 and March 2026.Engagement findings will inform policy framework drafting.
Are there challenges?
First Nations in B.C. have identified a need for legislation, funding and capacity within Nations as well as heritage holding organizations to facilitate repatriation. Currently, the scope of work is focused on policy development and repatriation in British Columbia.
Limited, fragmented and inaccurate records and understanding of where Ancestors and Cultural Belongings are being held is part of the complexity of advancing this work.
Repatriation is also emotionally and psychologically burdensome for descendant communities and is impacted by intergenerational trauma. The process of advancing the stewardship, return and control of Ancestors and Cultural Belongings in B.C. needs to be undertaken with care and be Indigenous led. Calls for advancing repatriation by First Nations date back decades and there is a need to develop trust and meaningful continuity in the work with government and heritage-holding organizations.
Funding for the Policy Framework implementation will be required. This includes capacity building, repatriation related activities including ceremony, infrastructure needs and Indigenous protocols.
Highlights
The 2025/2026 province-wide engagement reached more than 300 participants in person and online and included meetings with representatives from 100 First Nations, 21 affiliated Indigenous organizations, 36 heritage-holding organizations, sessions with legal experts and the Reciprocal Research Network, as well as conversations with many other key and/or impacted individuals. Insights from these engagements will inform policy framework drafting, recommendations for next steps and implementation. It underscored the need for a flexible, Indigenous led, relationship focused approach to repatriation.
In June 2025, the First Peoples’ Cultural Council released two reports that support repatriation for First Nations in B.C. From Stealing to Healing: Repatriation and B.C. First Nations provides the history, context and impacts of repatriation for First Nations in B.C. The Repatriation Cost Analysis: A Framework and Model describes steps and estimates the costs of First Nations-led repatriation, from beginning planning to long-term caretaking after Ancestors and Cultural Belongings are repatriated.