A carved sandstone pillar declared an Indigenous artifact by the Royal BC Museum last year has been returned to its owner with an apology. On Tuesday, artist Ray Boudreau received a letter from Alicia Dubois, the museum’s executive director, saying she was “relieved and happy to see this original work of art rightfully returned to you.” “I would like to express my gratitude for your patience as we navigated this uncharted territory and sincerely apologize for the mistakes made during the process,” Dubois wrote. “I can assure you that as a team, we have learned from this experience and are taking concrete steps to ensure that similar mistakes are not made in the future.” The 100-kilogram oblong pillar with a carved face was discovered on a beach off Dallas Road in July 2020. After examining the stone and consulting with local First Nations, an archaeologist concluded it could be a ceremonial pillar used in puberty and salmon Lekwungen ceremonies. Jack Loman, who was the museum’s chief executive at the time, called the pillar “an admirable find with a remarkable history”. A story that was about to change. A few days later, a skeptical Boudreau saw a photo of his rock carving being heralded as a Native American artifact. “It’s absolutely, 110 percent my carving. I knew right away it was my carving,” Boudreau said, sharing photos of a strikingly similar sculpture he had worked on three years earlier. Boudreau said he wasn’t sure what to do at first. “Do you shut up about it or let it go? The thing took on a life of its own and would have had a beautiful life if I hadn’t said anything.” In the end, the night watchman decided that the museum and the local First Nations needed to know the truth. “I didn’t want to live a lie,” he said. At the time, the museum said the origin of the pillar would be reviewed with the museum, the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations and the carver. This week, Boudreau said he was never consulted about the carving. He said the first time he heard from the museum was when he received the Sept. 13 letter saying the carving would be returned. “I’m still in shock about the whole thing,” said Boudreau, 67. “There’s nothing special about it. I only spent three days on it and it grew legs.” Boudreau intended the carving to be an international design, a combination of Asian and African features, but he disappeared before he could complete it. He assumed the heavy rock had been stolen because he had stuck it on the shore. On Tuesday, the carving was placed on the back of Boudreau’s car with a forklift. Now it’s in the yard at his Gorge Road apartment while he decides what to do with it. “I’m really confused. I feel compelled to do something about it. But I’m not 100 percent sure. I have some ideas. “My neighbor said, ‘Why destroy it? It’s famous the way it is.’ “ Despite a request for more information, the museum has not publicly explained how the pillar’s authenticity was authenticated, what it learned in the process, and what steps it is taking to ensure it doesn’t happen again. “I have to commend them for doing their due diligence on the museum,” Boudreau said. “It took some time and some research. But what it does when you’re me, you start to question all their stuff. Are they Barnum and Bailey or are they really authentic?’ [email protected]
To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]
