Two headdresses repatriated to Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe

From left, Billy Blackwell, Grand Portage Elder; Agatha Armstrong, vice-chair of the Grand Portage Tribal Council; Marie Spry, councilwoman of the Grand Portage Tribal Council; Robert “Bobby” Deschampe, chairman of the Grand Portage Tribal Council; Bishop Daniel Felton; Toby Stephens, councilwoman of the Grand Portage Tribal Council; and Dick Hoagland, Grand Portage Elder, pose with two repatriated headdresses Dec. 18 in Grand Portage. (Photo courtesy of Laurie Bisel) 

Two headdresses were repatriated back to the Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe on Monday, Dec. 18, at the Reservation Tribal Council headquarters in Grand Portage. Bobby Deschampe, chairman of the Grand Portage Tribal Council, spoke beautiful words over the headdresses as they were restored to their homes. The first headdress was gifted to a priest in 1979 by Mrs. John Flatte, wife of the hereditary chief of the Grand Portage Band, John Flatte (Ki-wi-ta-ge-shig). The second was gifted to Bishop Thomas Welch, the third bishop of the Diocese of Duluth, who served from 1926 to 1959, by Chief Be-eshi-gay-qah-go-ge-shig sometime during Welch’s time as bishop. Bishop Welch’s family wanted the headdress to find its way back home to the proper Band. After research, diocesan officials are are still unable to determine the exact tribal band of origin, but the Grand Portage Band has access to a climate-controlled environment to store the headdresses for preservation for future generations and future discoveries.