A sacred headdress from the Long Plain First Nation has been returned to the community after being held at a Manitoba museum.

A sacred headdress worn by Long Plain First Nation chiefs Frank and Angus Merrick has been repatriated to the community after being held at the Fort la Reine Museum in Portage la Prairie. The return, announced December 16, 2025, followed a repatriation effort led by a band councillor and museum executive, with family members confirming its identity through historical photos. The headdress, now housed at the National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada on the site of the former Portage la Prairie Indian Residential School, symbolizes cultural restoration and healing. Community leaders and the museum emphasized the significance of returning Indigenous spiritual artifacts to their rightful owners as a step toward reconciliation and cultural continuity.