Stolen Spirits of Haida Gwaii

The legendary First Nation tribe living in the remote islands of Haida Gwaii (“Islands of the People”) in British Columbia, Canada is fighting to revive its cultural heritage and preserve its identity. When remains of the tribe’s ancestors were discovered in the basement of a museum fifteen years ago, they formed the Haida Repatriation Committee (HRC), and achieved the return of 160 bodies from the Chicago Field Museum that had been stolen a century ago during scientific expeditions which officially aimed to study this race that was expected to become extinct. Toronto-based director Kevin McMahon lets the eloquent Haida people tell their story. When the Repatriation Committee enters the basement of the museum to view the ancestral remains, the poignant images of the Haida overwhelmed with tears speak for themselves. It took McMahon a whole year of dialogue to gain the community’s trust and be allowed to film the process of the Haida healing their culture, and their ultimate reconciliation with the descendents of the scientists who had violated their graves. Stolen Spirits of Haida Gwaii has received wide acclaim within the Haida Nation. (DOK.fest München)