An Indigenous dancer whose regalia was sold off is appealing for anyone who has any of it to return it to her in exchange for a reward.
Felicia Lobster says the items she is seeking to get back include two of her own dressesas well as one that was worn by her daughter, as well as three pairs of moccasins, sets of leggings and other accessories.
Lobster, who now lives in Nelson House, had been living with someone in Thompson until February. When she moved out, she left the regalia and some other belongings behind. Before she could collect them, they were sold.
“There’a numerous people in Thompson saying that they have been sold and that someone does have them. I’m willing to give a reward to at least get the dresses back,” she says, and is currently fundraising in order to be able to pay out up to $500 in reward money.
Though that is far below the value of the items, which Lobster pegs as costing at least $2,000 or even $3,000 to replace, she hopes that it will be enough to convince whoever has them to return them to her, no questions asked. “I don’t want to judge them or anything like that,” she said.
Apart from the cost of replacing the regalia, they also have sentimental value to Lobster, who went to police regarding their sale but was told her only legal avenue would be to file a civil action in small claims court.
“The very first dress I got was gifted to me at the Leslie Turner powwow by Ron Cook and his wife, so that one is very sentimental to me,” she said. “The other ones were custom-made.”
Lobster says she is willing to give rewards even for just separate pieces of her regalia if they have gotten split up since being sold.
“I’ll reward them either way,” she said.
Anyone who wants to get in touch with her about returning any regalia pieces can do so by contacting the Thompson Citizen, she says.
