THE RETURN OF NIISHLUUT’S CHIEF HEADDRESS

Welcoming Chief Sidney Campbell Home

Today, I had the opportunity to witness something truly beautiful.

As I watched the events unfold, I found myself thinking about the notes and words shared by Myrnell Bertold and Clifton Guthrie, and about the important part Mique’l Dangeli has played in bringing this moment to life. What we witnessed today is something that will continue tomorrow, but I already know that today will remain with me for a very long time.

I stood there and watched as the traditional canoes and paddlers came forward, singing our traditional songs. Along the dock, our community gathered together, playing drums and singing as we welcomed home Chief Sidney Campbell, Sm’oogyit Nishluut.

After 100 years, there was something incredibly powerful about that moment.

It was more than simply watching canoes arrive at the dock. It was history coming home.

It was our people coming together to honor one of our own.

As I watched, I could feel the emotion building inside me. I found myself tearing up as I witnessed the songs, the drums, the canoes and the people gathered together. Looking around, I could see the same feeling in the faces of others. There was pride. There was joy. And there were tears.

For a moment, it felt as though the generations were standing together.

Our Elders. Our families. Our children. Our ancestors. Our community.

All connected by our culture and our history.

These are the moments that remind me why our heritage matters so much. Our songs, our canoes, our stories, our clans, our families and the traditions passed down to us are not simply things from the past. They are living pieces of who we are.

And today, we were given the honor of welcoming Chief Sidney Campbell, Sm’oogyit Nishluut, home after a century.

What a powerful moment.

There is still more to come from this event tomorrow, and I look forward to seeing how the story continues to unfold.

Tonight, I am simply grateful that I was there to witness it.

I love our community.

I love our culture.

I love our heritage.

And most of all, I love seeing our families and our people come together to honor where we came from and remind ourselves of who we are.

Some moments are difficult to put into words.

Today was one of those moments.

But I will carry it with me.

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A Final Note from Clifton Guthrie

Clifton Guthrie shared these words with the community as today’s historic moment approaches:

“If you feel like ‘showboating’ with us today, cruise your boat or Xsoo out to Driest Point to help escort my great uncle, Niishluut’s Amhalaayt, on its last ride home on the F/V Susie Q.

The new ETA will be between 5:00–6:00.

We’ve spent countless hours, and years of effort collectively, to uncover an unimaginable amount of pictures, text, and carvings of this man for one reason only:

To tell his untold story.

You’re all invited to witness, join, and share this historic moment for Sidney Campbell, Metlakatla, Alaska, and all Ts’msyen people.”

Those words say so much about what this moment means.

This isn’t just about bringing someone home.

It is about remembering.

It is about telling a story that waited generations to be told.

It is about honoring a man, a family, a community and a people.

And tomorrow, as the F/V Susie Q makes its way home with Niishluut’s Amhalaayt, I believe our community will once again come together—not simply as spectators, but as family.

I hope we remember how fortunate we are to witness moments like this.

Some things take a lifetime to return home.
Some stories take generations to be heard.
And sometimes, history comes home on the water.

— Alex