Royal Alberta Museum returns 17,000 artifacts to Fort McKay First Nation

EDMONTON — In a significant move for Indigenous cultural sovereignty, the Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) is returning more than 17,000 artifacts to the Fort McKay First Nation. The collection includes a vast range of cultural items, from 11,000-year-old stone tools and arrowheads to more contemporary relics like tin lard cans and spent ammunition casings, according to a report by CBC News. On July 31, 2026, the community gathered at Elsie Fabian School to celebrate the homecoming of these treasures with drumming and singing. Chief Raymond Powder of the Fort McKay First Nation described the collection as a vital timeline of his ancestors’ relationship with the land. He told CBC News that bringing the items back to their ancestral home provided a great feeling and offered a unique opportunity for younger generations to learn about their history and heritage. The items were originally collected between 1975 and 1977 by a university student working north of Fort McMurray, near the culturally significant Moose Lake. While they were held by the RAM since 1981, a recent review sparked by an inquiry from a University of Saskatchewan student determined the items were collected on First Nation land. Meaghan Patterson, the RAM’s executive director, stated that because the items were found on Nation land, they are legally the property of the Fort McKay First Nation rather than the province. Archaeologist Kurtis Blaikie, who is acting as a liaison for the First Nation, noted that even the modern items in the collection are significant. He explained that these objects prove the community and their ancestors have been using and harvesting the land in similar ways for thousands of years. The museum is currently working with the First Nation to coordinate the return of the remaining items in the collection.