For Immediate Release Contact: Greg Borzo (312) 665-7100 (For Media Use Only) gborzo@fieldmuseum.org Instead, the Haida survived this devastating loss and continue to thrive. Today, about 2,500-3,000 Haida live on Haida Gwaii and about 3,000 live throughout Canada and the United States. The Haida on Haida Gwaii make their living primarily through fishing, logging and tourism. They have been successful at securing the return of their ancestors from museums in Canada and the United States. “For the past seven years, we’ve been repatriating remains from all over the world because our ancestors don’t belong in museums anymore,” said Lucille Bell, heritage officer of the Haida Repatriation Committee. “Although we feel grief over how our ancestors have been treated, we have no hard feelings today,” Bell added. “It has been wonderful working with The Field Museum on this project, and we look forward to this ceremony as a very positive experience.” In considering the request from the Haida, The Field Museum was impressed by the strong testaments of support the Haida obtained from leading Canadian museums and other cultural institutions. “The Haida have been both patient and persistent in pursuing the return of the remains of their ancestors,” said Jonathan Haas, PhD, MacArthur Curator of the Americas at The Field Museum. “We have gained tremendous appreciation of the Haida people and their culture as we have worked with them on this important issue.” Continue