Traditional headdress returned to Prince George area after 150 years

The newly renovated Exploration Place has opened its first new exhibit, which features hundreds of years of local area history.

This afternoon, they cut the ribbon on the Susk’uz Headdress Exhibit.

The headdress in question has returned home after spending over 140 years at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.

In a process that took seven years to complete, Maiyoo Keyoh Society was able to regain possession of the headdress, which may predate colonial contact, and set up a memorandum of understanding with the Exploration Place to host it.

“The headdress is my wife’s (Petra A’Huille) great great grandfather’s,” said Jim Munroe, the President and CEO of the Maiyoo Keyoh Society.

He said it is a symbol of governance and management in the land traditionally.

Petra A’Huille’s great great grandfather, George A’Huille, was the Maiyoo Keyoh Keyohwhudachun (chief) in the mid 1800’s.

That title has been passed down to Petra through the generations, she spoke at the ribbon cutting about how important having it back is to herself and her family.

The exhibit features much more than just the headdress, it gives information on the A’Huille family history, history of different Keyohs in the region, and other physical items like a handmade fishing net and hand carved canoe.

Munroe finished by telling anyone planning on coming to the museum, “I hope you enjoy the exhibit.”