Important artifact returning to Peguis First Nation

Peguis First Nation will soon have a lost piece of its history back home.

A critical artifact to the community — a horsehead pipe bowl once owned by Saulteaux leader Chief Peguis — will soon be repatriated to the Manitoba First Nation, said Chief Stan Bird in a social media post Wednesday.

The item was rediscovered by the Manitoba Museum in 2021 and Chief Bird said in the post the museum’s board of governors has approved a formal request to have the pipe bowl returned.

A celebration and community gathering will be organized to mark the artifact’s return, with Chief Bird calling it a “living symbol of peace, responsibility and the enduring spirit” of the First Nation.