From Conservation to Restitution
This article discusses the itinerary of a qalugiujaq, a miniature knife that belonged to the famous shaman Qimuksiraaq. The object was found in the archives of the Grey Nuns of Nicolet and recently returned to a descendant of the renowned shaman. The authors discuss miniatures as agencies that have a capacity to make connections in time or space. In this particular case the transformational power of the miniature remained intact despite decades of Christianity. Beyond measures of indigenization, this observation should lead museums to be more open and careful in the management of their collections of miniature objects.