Times Colonist
Ferrin Willie said she was “super happy and relieved” to find out Wednesday that precious family heirlooms and First Nations ceremonial items that went missing from her Port Hardy home were found.
“I’m still in shock. I wasn’t very hopeful,” said Willie. The logging company that had rented her family home found her items and is working to return them by the end of the week. An employee might have had the items.
“I really give credit to the company for pursuing this,” said Willie, adding she hopes all the items have been found and are intact.
There are at least 68 pieces, including masks, rattles, drums, paddles, headdresses and blankets. A collection of regalia and art was passed on to Willie and her siblings from their late father David Gladstone, a Heiltsuk artist and former chief.
Willie and her partner, Jordan Hunt, discovered their items missing from a storage room over the weekend. They returned home from an extended visit to Victoria to pick up a Chilkat blanket for their 10-month-old daughter’s 10 moons ceremony, a Kwakwaka’wakw naming ritual for children. It was custom-made for their elder daughter, who is six, and intended to be a family heirloom.
Willie had several photos of the stolen items the family used for ceremonies, potlatches and celebrations — which she posted online with a plea for their return.
The post was shared more than 7,500 times on Facebook from the Island to northern B.C. and beyond, and covered widely in the media.
Port Hardy RCMP said they were investigating and Willie said the logging company took immediate action to help the family.
She thanked everyone who helped spread the word about the incident. “We’re celebrating in a local coffee shop,” she said.
