Are Scottish clans Indigenous enough to have their historical artefacts returned?

BC museum has not responded to calls to return Clan Menzies collection

Just over a year ago, the National Museum of Scotland returned a 36 foot Pacific red cedar totem pole to the Nisga’a First Nation. The Ni’sjoohl memorial pole was transported nearly 7,000 km by Canadian military aircraft, with the $1.2 million bill paid for by the Scottish government.

The repatriation of the pole, which dates back to 1855 and tells the story of a Nisga’a warrior who was due to become chief before falling in battle, is part of a global process of decolonization in museum collections. In short, artefacts are being returned to the places they come from where they have more cultural significance.

The Scottish museum had bought the pole in good faith in 1929 from a Canadian anthropologist but in 2022 accepted that it was stolen and agreed to return it to its rightful owners, who likened it to “bringing back a family member”.

But it seems that process does not work in reverse. Ted Menzies, a former minister of state for finance in Stephen Harper’s government, is part of a group of petitioners asking the Royal British Columbia Museum to return to Clan Menzies some artefacts that once belonged to the 18th century botanist and adventurer, Dr. Archibald Menzies - to no avail thus far.

Menzies the botanist is not a big draw on Vancouver Island - the artefacts, which include two miniature portraits, a pocket watch and a signet ring that features the Menzies clan crest, are not even on display.

But he probably should be. Menzies (traditionally pronounced MING-iss in Scotland) was a Royal Navy surgeon and botanist in the late 18th century, who was part of the Vancouver Expedition, the four and a half year circumnavigation of the globe aboard HMS Discovery. That ship was under the command of Captain George Vancouver and made contact with five continents.

Among other achievements, the Vancouver expedition proved that what is now Vancouver Island was indeed an island.

Menzies, who kept a meticulous journal of the trip, was the first European to reach the summit of the Hawaiian volcano, Mauna Loa, introduced the monkey puzzle tree to England and is considered to have made a significant contribution to the field of lichenology. A prominent street surrounding the legislative assembly in Victoria still bears his name.

Ted Menzies and his fellow petitioner Graeme Menzies argue that their distant ancestor’s possessions would be more appropriately housed in Castle Menzies, near Aberfeldy in Perthshire, Scotland. The grandson of the man who donated them to the Royal BC Museum in 1943 - a Scottish horticulturalist named FRS Balfour - agrees with them, saying he is certain his grandfather would have wanted them not just to be preserved, but to be seen. The items held by the museum in Victoria are not on public display and are not thought to have ever been shown in the 80 years since they were donated by Balfour.

Menzies the botanist was born in Perthshire and may even have acquired his love of nature from his time working in the gardens at Castle Menzies, which now houses an “Archibald Menzies Room”. The castle is held and maintained by a registered charity, which makes it eligible for any transfer under the museum’s collections policy.

RBCM has a policy to '“deaccession” artefacts if they are “more appropriately housed in another museum or archive”, as is clearly the case in this instance.

Ted and his family have taken part in the Menzies diaspora gathering at the Castle and he makes a convincing case that Archibald’s possessions are of historical significance to the clan and to the people of Aberfeldy.

The Scottish government has lent its support and given assurances that it will help with any transfer of artefacts.

Yet, Ted is still waiting for a response from the museum eight months after first making contact.

I have now asked for some answers and will let you know what I hear.

But there appear to be two possible explanations for the museum’s silence: one, the artefacts have been lost; or, two, Scottish clans are not considered to be Indigenous enough to count under its deaccession policy of returning artefacts that don’t belong to them.

UPDATE:

We have news of sorts. The Royal BC Museum sent along a statement that said it has replied to Ted Menzies in May and August, acknowledging his request and it is “currently active” and being worked on. Reminder, Ted submitted the request more than six months ago. Time moves slowly in the museum world.

The statement in full:

The Royal BC Museum corresponded with Ted Menzies in May and August this year to advise acknowledgment of this request. The museum can confirm his request is currently active and being worked on. The team will reach out shortly to update Mr. Menzies directly.

Please be assured that the Royal BC Museum takes the care and preservation of artifacts in the BC provincial collections with the utmost respect and seriousness. Artifacts and specimens are not destroyed.