Osoyoos Indian Band, family searching for missing native headdress

A member of the Osoyoos Indian Band is hoping a social media post will aid her in her efforts to repatriate a valued cultural item owned by her grandfather.

Taylor Anne Baptiste says her grandfather, Francis Jim Baptiste, was an artist and created many works of art, including a collection of paintings that are on display at the Nk’mip Desert Cultural Centre in Osoyoos.

He passed away in 1988 at the age of 66.

“In the process of cleaning my grandfather’s house out when he died, his headdress was somehow sold, and no one knows specifically where it went since,” Taylor says.

She recently posted a message on Facebook asking readers for help in finding and reclaiming the headdress.

Francis Jim Baptiste was a well known native artist with a collection of his work viewable at the Nk’mip Cultural Centre in Osoyoos. | Credit: SUBMITTED/ Taylor Anne Baptiste

Taylor says she is trying to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps and is studying art at Emily Carr University.

“I have a portrait of my grandfather in my studio, and look at it every day, wondering what happened to his headdress. I was talking to my family and thought, ‘we’ve seen crazier things happening on social media, why not put a notice out there and see if people know where it is,’” she says.

Francis Jim Baptiste had 12 children including six boys and six girls, in addition to 38 grandkids.

“It’s a part of our family history, and our culture. A lot of my grandfather’s art is preserved in a collection at the Nk’mip Desert Cultural Centre, and we’d like to see the headdress preserved along with the rest of his artwork to keep his story, culture and art work alive for generations to come,” Taylor says.

The headdress can be identified by arrow beading on the front.

Taylor says anyone who might know something about the headdress can email her at tbaps12@gmail.com, or call the Osoyoos Indian Band office at  250-498-3444.

Francis Jim Baptiste. | Credit: SUBMITTED/ Taylor Anne Baptiste


To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to tips@infonews.ca and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.

Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

Steve Arstad's Stories

More Articles

Leave a Reply