Lheidli T’enneh family repatriates cultural artifacts

PRINCE GEORGE — Members of the Prince George media were invited to The Exploration Place today (June 5) to see the cultural artifacts returned to a Lheidli T’enneh family and Lheidli T’enneh First Nation.

The items included a small stone spear, stone adze, stone scrapper, and traditional snowshoes. Joshua Seymour initiated and completed the repatriation of the items belonging to the late Frank Seymour, from the Royal BC Museum in Victoria on April 24, 2026.

“This is about bringing our family history and cultural belongings back home where they belong,” said Joshua Seymour. “These artifacts represent not only our ancestors and way of life, but also the inherent responsibility to preserve, protect, and share our history with future generations – Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike.”

Along with the repatriated items, the Seymour family has partnered with The Exploration Place to develop a Grade 4 Social Studies educational unit centered on the artifacts, and the history of the Lheidli T’enneh people. Educational programming will be offered free of charge through The Exploration Place’s school programs, and field trip opportunities for Northern British Columbia classrooms, made possible through support from the Drax Foundation.