Controversy on Morrison Island

By Islomaniac | July 30, 2007

Canada faces the omnipresent task to reconciling with its passed. Like many other countries, Canada lives with a history of European colonization that resulted in the displacement and exploitation of its native inhabitants. Today the reconciliation takes the form of numerous disputes and negotiations. One such dispute is over a region in and surrounding Morrison Island. The dispute centers around the Canadian Museum of Civilizations possession of ancient Aboriginal remains originally obtained from the island. The museum contends that the bones were donated by amateur archeologist’s before stringent rules were put in place. The Natives are demanding the return of the remains. The museum has agreed to negotiate the return of some of the bones taken from Algonquin burial grounds, but it appears that the origin of older bones, including those taken from Morrison Island, will be contested by the museum. Museum scientists state, “they are too old to enable a ‘genetic link’ to modern Algonquins.” The Algonquins believe they have lived on the island for time immemorial and want the return of the human remains collected from the burial sites, regardless of their age stating that “these remains are not simply bones to be cataloged and filed. These remains are Algonquin ancestors, dug up from their final resting place and now kept in filing cabinets.“

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