Five years ago a Victoria, BC hobby stone carver spent three days chiselling a large rock at a local beach, only to later see it displayed as an "ancient indigenous artifact” at the Royal BC Museum (RBCM)..Now the museum has acknowledged and apologized for the error, returning what it once believed to be a "Lekwungen ritual stone" to its true maker..Ray Boudreau told the Western Standard he’d gone to the Dallas Rd. beach to work on the large rock, however upon returning for a fourth day of carving it was nowhere to be seen..“I thought there’s no way the ocean could have even risen near it because I had it up high on the bank, so there was maybe an 8-10 ft. difference between that and the high tide,” he said..“So I just scratched my head and moved onto another rock.”.Three years later, in 2020, Boudreau was watching the news and said he couldn’t believe his eyes, as his carving was showcased at the RBCM as a centuries old indigenous artifact..Fortunately for Boudreau he’d taken time stamped photos of his three-day project..“I sent the photos to news agencies and told them it was mine, that it wasn’t authentic Indian art,” he said..In response to media pressure, the museum launched an investigation and has now acknowledged the error..“On behalf of the RBCM, I would like to express my gratitude for your patience as we navigated this unfamiliar territory and extend sincere apologies for the errors made during this process,” museum CEO Alicia Dubois wrote in a Tuesday letter to Boudreau..“Thank you again for your graciousness and openness as our team has worked with you in recent weeks to determine how best to ensure the carving is returned to your care.”.Boudreau says he thought about not bringing the story forward, considering he’d likely still have his carving displayed at the province’s most prestigious museum, none the wiser to museum curators and onlookers..“It’s a strange story,” he said.
