We have put a lot of work into searching for belongings in museum collections. On this page we will share how we did that. This page is a work in progress. 

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Searching Collections

In the United States, a law called the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act said that all museums that have collections that originate in Indigenous communities must make their collection contents available to communities so they can check for ownership challenges and potential thefts. In Canada, there is no such law. It is generally considered a good practice to keep your collection available online so that researchers and other interested people can see what a museum has. There are barriers to this though, museums are chronically underfunded, and many of they may choose to prioritize artifact care and other functions over database maintenance.

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In searching for artifacts of Îethka origins, we found that Alberta museums were the most difficult (across Canada) to access collections online. Both Glenbow and the Royal Alberta Museum direct seekers to contact curators instead of hosting online databases. The Whyte Museum, which prioritizes Indigenous access to archival collections, recently opened their collection database to the public. 

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Besides capacity issues, museums may not be well motivated to share their collections online. The more people who see collections and understand their scope and breadth, the more people who will be able to identify artifacts that have made their way to museums wrongfully or illegally.  Online databases of collections can be very costly to set up and maintain and they don't generate revenue for the museum in the way that exhibits and other functions like programs do. Photography of artifacts is something that must be done with care in order to avoid any potential damage from light or movement; thus it is quite expensive. Museums may also be apprehensive about taking photographs of cultural items, as many curators understand that there are rules that may apply to those artifacts without knowing how to properly respect or implement them.

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When we look for Îethka artifacts, we usually do at least three searches: we look for Nakoda, Stoney, and Assiniboine. When listings come up, we have a look at their details and descriptions to help understand if the item may be of Îethka origins. Sometimes it also helps to search words like Morley, or a selection of surnames. Searching museum databases takes patience and can be frustrating. We know the experience can be quite painful to Îethka people, especially because of the feelings of loss that may arise, anger at the museum, and frustration over poor or insulting descriptions. On the other hand, finding things in museums can feel exciting, and in our experience it's a bit funny when museums get basic information about culture wrong.

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