12
S moke S ignals
MAY 15, 2019
Summers Collection leaves May 23
ARTIFACTS continued
from front page
Rev. Selwyn Freer, who donated
all of the approximately 550 items
collected by Summers to the British
Museum in 1900.
The British Museum loan was the
culmination of 20 years of perse-
verance by the Grand Ronde Tribe
to either have the items returned
or loaned, and might be the first
loan from the museum to a Native
American Tribe in the United
States. A permanent return of the
items requires an act of Parliament
as the British Museum is resolute
that any items it has belong to the
people of England.
In December 2002, Tribal Council
Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy
and former Tribal Council mem-
ber June Sell-Sherer traveled to
London to view the items, which
had been in storage for more than
100 years. Although they were told
it would take a monumental effort
to get the artifacts back to Grand
Ronde, they persevered and 16
years later the items came home,
albeit temporarily.
“It’s been a wonderful opportuni-
ty to have these at Chachalu and I
am very proud of the work the Cul-
tural Resources staff has done, not
only for us, but so the world could
see these,” Kennedy said. “My hope
is that this is the beginning of a
regular rotation and one day we can
have them returned home or have
a replication of the artifacts here.”
Edwards said that muse-
um-to-museum relationships are
becoming more common, but that
not all cultural institutions are on
the same level, so the fact that the
British Museum trusted Chachalu
staff to house and properly care for
the items speaks volumes.
“It’s a sign of what parity and
recognition can look like,” Edwards
said. “Both institutions recognized
and respected each other. It meant
a lot. The British Museum is one
of the most recognized museum
names in the world.”
The seed was planted in the
1980s for an eventual Tribal muse-
um, which first opened at the site
Smoke Signals file photo
Tribal Elder and former Tribal Council Chairwoman Kathryn Harrison viewed the Summers Collection artifacts during
the opening of the “Rise of the Collectors” exhibit at Chachalu Museum & Cultural Center on June 1, 2018.
of the former Willamina Middle
School in 2014 after phase one re-
modeling was complete. Phase two
included an extensive remodel of
the library area, which was turned
into a 4,000-square-foot gallery
space and work areas, offices and
a research library. It re-opened on
June 1, 2018, to coincide with the
beginning of the “Rise of the Collec-
tors” exhibit.
The exhibit featured a purse,
harpoon, rattle, seed fan, cooking
tray, hunting cap, seed basket,
cooking basket, horn bowl, dice, elk
skull spoon, epaulettes, mat creas-
er, dentalium purse, horn spoon
and adze handle, as well as woven
items from the Kershaw Collection
loaned to the Tribe by the Oregon
Historical Society.
“We are not the only Tribe with
a museum,” Edwards said. “Others
are equally professional. We just
happen to have this connection and
our Tribal leaders took the initia-
tive to pursue it. Our plans are to
cultural
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continue to have this relationship
grow.”
Edwards doesn’t see ownership
of the Summers items happening
in the near future.
“We’re still in the same place we
were a year ago,” he said. “English
law doesn’t allow for a simple
return of the items. I believe the
intent now is to further our rela-
tionships with other loans.”
There is no date set for when
the next installment will come to
Chachalu. Edwards said it is an
extremely expensive and time-con-
suming undertaking, so the Tribal
museum will focus on other exhibits
for the time being.
“It has been remarkable to see
all of the people from all over the
world who have come to this exhib-
it,” he said. “We had a couple from
England who were just amazed at
the long process these belongings
had taken to come back home. It is
a global moment playing out.”
However, Edwards said the best
moments came when Tribal mem-
bers visited the exhibit and spoke
of their family connections.
“When an Elder comes down and
shares how they are connected, that
is an amazing moment,” he said.
Chachalu Manager and Tribal
member Julie Brown was contem-
plative when asked her thoughts
about the Summers Collection
exhibit ending.
“Oh my, that’s a tough one,” she
said. “My sister (Khani Schultz)
and I were engaged in a display
board in 2012 at Spirit Mountain
Casino that highlighted the Sum-
mers Collection and we said very
directly we wanted to get them back
to Grand Ronde.
“Back then it was a dream to have
it at some point in the future. Cheryle
(Kennedy) and June (Sell-Sherer)
were heavy hitters and put the first
foot forward to develop that rela-
tionship. In doing so, we have had
Summers come home. Hats off to
them and the Elders of the time.”
Brown said the display at Spirit
Mountain Casino was the first foray
into bringing the Summers Collec-
tion to the attention of the public,
not just Tribal members.
“From there, the negotiations
continued and we have been suc-
cessful as a Tribe,” she said. “There
were many Elders who worked on
this effort who are no longer here.
There is a lot of sentiment and
emotion for those belongings to be
here. My mother, who passed before
this exhibit came home, was one of
those Elders.”
And what’s next at Chachalu?
Brown is keeping that information
close to the vest, but said there will
likely be a soft opening in late June
for a new exhibit.
“We will be letting the community
know more details well in advance,”
she said. “What I can say is that it
will be significant and we do have a
featured artist at the exhibit.”
The new exhibit will be the first of
three planned within a year.
“We want to do three change
outs,” Brown said. “The Summers
Collection was here for year by
special agreement, but we are also
trying to provide the community
with something new on a regular
basis.” n
Sewing class participants wanted
The sewing classes that have been held at the Elders Activity Center
have been canceled due to lack of participation. Classes could resume
if at least six people commit to attending.
To commit or find out more information, contact Elders Activity
Assistant Virginia Kimsey-Roof at 503-879-2233. n