Chilkat Blanket Taken from Taku River Tlingit First Nation 140 Years Ago Finally Back in Northwest but at a Hefty Price Tag

A Chilkat blanket taken from the Taku River Tlingit First Nation some 140 years ago is finally back in the Northwest.

Purchased by the Nation last November when it went up for sale at a Toronto auction house, the blanket finally arrived in Whitehouse this week.

From there, it enters the home stretch of its journey to Atlin, where it will be displayed for generations of Tlingit members to come.

Woven from mountain goat hair and spun over cedar bark string, the blanket features the unique twin wolf symbol of the Yanyèdi clan.

It matches the signature style of renowned weaver Mary Hunt, and was likely taken during the potlatch ban in the 1880s.

But, while the Nation is welcoming its return home, they are also disappointed that they had to purchase back what rightfully belonged to them.

In total, the purchase cost the Nation $38,000, which was raised through a GoFundMe campaign and a generous donation from local Peter Wright.

They say there are still countless Tlingit artifacts kept in distant collections, and say no Nation should ever have to pay for what is theirs.

According to the Nation, a repository could be built closer to home, but the provincial process makes it difficult.

More information on the blanket can be found at this link.