Bruce County council has approved the return of Indigenous cultural belongings currently held by the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre.
The decision was made during council's November 5, 2026 meeting, following an update on the museum's Indigenous Cultural Belongings Project.
Museum staff have been working with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Environment Office and the Great Lakes Research Alliance for the Study of Aboriginal Arts and Cultures to research the origins, history and ownership of Indigenous items in the museum's collection.
The work has helped identify cultural belongings appropriate for repatriation to their originating communities.
In its council highlights, Bruce County says the project supports its commitment to reconciliation.
"It helps ensure cultural belongings are cared for respectfully and that their repatriation is prioritized," the county said.
The initiative builds on a repatriation framework developed in partnership with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation in 2023, establishing a process for returning Indigenous cultural property and ancestral remains.
The county has not announced a timeline for completing the approved transfers.
