Museums in Canada have been asked to return ancestral remains and burial objects to First Nations people.

The British Columbia Museums Association is urging government-funded agencies to return ancient human remains and burial objects to their rightful Indigenous owners.

Although the call comes from British Columbia, organizers hope to see organizations from all over the world sign a call to action to repatriate these objects and examine repatriation policies, accept the cost of doing so, and establish an inventory of ancestors in collections.

"Real, meaningful, and enduring reconciliation must involve the return of our ancestors to the Nations from which they were abducted," said Dan Smith, a member of the Wei Wai Kum First Nation and former chair of the museum association's Indigenous advisory committee.

This call stems from Article 31 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which recognizes Indigenous Peoples' ability to control their cultural heritage.

Jordan Coble, a member of the Westbank First Nation and the current chair of the B.C. Museum Association's Indigenous advisory committee said that although he would like to see all culturally significant objects returned to First Nations in the future, he recognizes that capacity limitations within museums would make that impossible.

Coble noted the gap between how museums house and to conserve objects and the protocols and laws that regulate Indigenous peoples, in addition to capability issues. However, he stated that the aim is to cultivate relationships between Indigenous communities and museums in order to foster a shared understanding.

In general, ancestral remains and burial objects are not appropriate to First Nations cultures, according to Coble, and the alternative path would be to return those items to the earth. However, after their things have been returned, each group will have the ability to make those decisions.

Communities will begin to revitalize cultural traditions, reverence for ancestors, elders, and the land now that those things have been returned.

Returning such vital things to First Nations societies was "empowering," according to Coble.