September 2026 marks one year since the Sim’oogit Laay’ totem pole returned home to the Nisga’a Museum in Laxgalts’ap, after nearly 80 years at MOA and UBC. The pole was carved around 1860 by master carver Oyai for the Lax-w’isax clan / Wilps Laay’ (Eagle-Halibut clan). Sim’oogit is the Nisga’a word for chief, and Laay’ is the house that the totem pole belongs to. The pole carries family history and knowledge.

UBC purchased the pole in 1947, during the Potlatch Ban, a period of profound colonial disruption when Indigenous people were experiencing great financial hardships and being taken to Indian Residential Schools. In 2023, Sim’oogit Laay’ requested its return, beginning a collaborative repatriation process between the House of Laay’, the Nisga’a Nation, UBC, and MOA.

In August 2025, members of the Nisga’a community arrived at MOA and performed a cedar bough blessing ceremony to mark the return of historic pole to Nisga’a territory. The journey culminated in a raising ceremony at the Nisga’a Museum, where the pole now stands for the next chapter of its existence.

This September 30th, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is an opportunity for MOA to look back at on this occasion and reflect on the role museums can play in the ongoing work of reconciliation. Repatriation asks museums to reckon with the histories of how Indigenous belongings entered their collections, build relationships with communities, and support the return of belongings to their rightful homes.

The return of the House of Laay’ pole is one example of this work in action—and of how repatriation can help restore connections to family, history, knowledge, and place.  

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Further Reading

The Carver’s Eye: Norman Tait via MOA Stories

The Sim’oogit Laay’ totem pole is returning home after almost 80 years at a UBC museum via CBC

Nisga’a totem pole returns home after nearly a century via CBC