An emotional event unfolded at Kawacatoose First Nation on Friday as a stolen teepee cover, missing for a century, was returned to its rightful owners. Members of the First Nation, situated about 135 kilometers northeast of Regina, were moved to tears as community members in traditional attire led drumming and singing on the powwow grounds. The teepee cover, crafted by Sîpiskwêsîkan, also known as Dustyhorn, over two years, had not been seen by family members since 1926 until its recent discovery in the Smithsonian collection in Washington, D.C.
Chief Cory (Okimow) Dustyhorn expressed the significance of the return, emphasizing the deep emotional impact on the community. Cory, along with family members and Indigenous studies professor Andrew Miller, embarked on a 29-hour journey to retrieve the teepee cover from the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Yolanda Dustyhorn, another descendant of Sîpiskwêsîkan, described her feelings as honored and proud to witness the teepee cover’s homecoming.
After a heartfelt ceremony at Kawacatoose, the teepee cover will be displayed for four days before being transferred to the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina. The teepee cover holds significant cultural and historical symbolism for the Kawacatoose First Nation, representing a connection to ceremonies that were once suppressed, leading to a loss of cultural pride, language, and identity.
