Supporting international repatriations and rematriations
Repatriation and rematriation is the return of Indigenous ancestors, artifacts, and cultural or sacred items to Indigenous communities or community members.
Learn how the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) can help you with repatriation and rematriation. Before crossing the border with cultural or sacred items, understand your legislative rights. Ensure you have the documents you will need to facilitate the importation and release of these items.
Guidance on the repatriation/rematriation process
Indigenous communities or individuals who would like to repatriate or rematriate items from outside of Canada may reach out to the CBSA for guidance.
Each repatriation/rematriation is unique and the process may be different from case to case. Items can be repatriated or rematriated from entities such as museums, personal collections or organizations. A repatriation or rematriation may occur for different reasons, for example, to support reconciliation, to follow new laws, or due to agreements made between a community and the current custodian. In some cases, depending on what an item is made of, different regulations may apply to bring the item in or out of the country. At the request of the Indigenous community, the CBSA may work with all parties to help facilitate the repatriation into Canada.
Ancestors, artifacts, and cultural or sacred items that are repatriated or rematriated
Here are some examples of commonly repatriated cultural or sacred items and the legal requirements that may factor into their return to Canada:
Human remains
- Documentation
Public Health Agency of Canada does not generally require documentation or request specific public health measures to be taken for the importation of teeth, bones or bone fragments (if free of tissue and blood). Indigenous human remains repatriated from institutions or private collections may not have a death certificate. When no death certificate is available, persons wishing to import human remains can assist the quarantine officer by providing other evidence, such as a letter from a coroner, identifying the cadaver, body part or human remains and attesting that they are free of communicable disease.
- Regulatory/legislative guidance
Animal parts
- Examples
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- Raptor parts: eagle feather, eagle talons, owl feathers, owl talons
- Wolf parts: fur, skull, claws
- Cat (cougar, lynx, bobcat) parts: skull, claws, fur
- Marine mammals; and
- Migratory birds and feathers
The import and export of animal parts is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA). WAPPRIITA applies to species on the CITES control list and Canadian species whose capture, possession, and transportation are regulated by provincial or territorial laws. To determine whether a species requires import permits, refer to the CITES Species List and to relevant Canadian legislation.
- Documentation
- May require permits or additional considerations
- Regulatory/legislative guidance
Wooden items
- Documentation
Under section 2.3 of the Directive D-02-12, items containing bark that are imported from areas other than the continental United States require a permit to import and approval from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Indigenous communities or individuals can apply for a permit by filling out an Application for a Permit to Import form (CFIA/ACIA 5256) and submitting it via a MyFIA account.
- Regulatory/legislative guidance
- Directive D-02-12: Phytosanitary import requirements for non-processed wood and other wooden products, bamboo and bamboo products, originating from all areas other than the continental United States
Considerations for the repatriation process
The Indigenous community or individual is responsible for importing the goods and coordinating logistics, including timing and transportation.
The CBSA can help to facilitate repatriations into Canada by:
- Connecting the Indigenous community with other government departments
- Answering questions and conducting research related to the processing of items
- Helping navigate the repatriation when it crosses into Canada
- Liaising with community representatives and CBSA staff at the port of entry for the arrival of items and their delegation
Learn more about how the CBSA is helping facilitate the repatriation and rematriation of cultural and sacred items across the border: Birch Bark Canoe Repatriation video
Contact us
For more information on how CBSA can support repatriations and rematriations contact:
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