132 pieces vanish from $14.4M Indigenous art collection — no police called

Ottawa admits dozens of works are missing but insists there's no evidence of theft.

On Friday's live stream, Sheila Gunn Reid reacted to a shocking report showing over 130 pieces of art have vanished from a $14.4 million collection owned by the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations, with law enforcement never being notified.

The report, first published by Blacklock's Reporter, detailed how 132 works disappeared from the department's Indigenous art collection without any explanation, and the matter was never referred to police for investigation.

A briefing note obtained by Blacklock's from January shows the department claims that “Efforts are underway in an attempt to locate the remaining unaccounted for artwork." The briefing note, titled The Indigenous Art Collection, added that "There was no finding of theft or ill-intent.” No explanation was provided for that conclusion.

The losses were examined by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, with department officials including Marc Miller testifying in February. Miller said it's a "moral obligation" to get the art pieces returned and restored.

MPs pressed officials on accountability during the February hearings, asking repeatedly whether anyone had been fired, suspended, or otherwise disciplined over the losses. Officials confirmed no one has faced any consequences, instead pointing to an internal audit and management action plan meant to identify risk areas going forward.

"No one's actually been fired over this art being lost, which is astounding to me," said Sheila. "Not a single person has been fired or even reprimanded over it."

Sheila noted that the lack of accountability stands in stark contrast to how ordinary Canadians are treated by government agencies over far smaller sums, and called on the department to locate the missing works and return them to the artists or their families.

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