A clothing store in the U.K. is still researching this Indigenous jacket they believe is from western Canada. (Photo Courtesy/Glass Onion Vintage)

By Derek Craddock

A RARE FIND

The search for the owner of a Canadian Indigenous jacket in the U.K. continues

Jun 22, 2023 | 12:00 PM

How did a 19th-century Indigenous jacket from western Canada end up at a shop in South Yorkshire, England?

That shop is still looking for the answer, more than eight months after it was found, and they hope to return the item to the right community.

Late last year, Glass Onion, a vintage clothing shop in Barnsley came across the Indigenous jacket, believed to be more than 170 years old.

The jacket was found as staff from the store were sorting through hundreds of jackets from their supplier in the U.S.

“Considering the age and distance this jacket has travelled, it’s in great condition,” the store said on its blog. “It’s clearly been lovingly created and made to last. A lot of hours have gone into researching the jacket’s possible origins, but we’ve been determined to discover its story.”

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While the jacket has not been assessed by a professional, they have had help from TikTok users and experts in narrowing down the details.

They believe based on elements from the jacket that it was likely made in the 1850s and possibly made by Métis or Cree people in western Canada.

“We’ve recently discovered that the fringe tassels are wrapped in dyed porcupine quills too! There aren’t many pieces which still exist like this in the world today, so we can’t quite believe it showed up in Barnsley,” the blog post reads.

News of the discovery went viral in Canada and the U.K. and continues to garner attention on the store’s social media accounts.

The store told paNOW they’re still following up on leads and researching the jacket’s origins before making any final decisions on what to do with it.

Anyone who may have information on the jacket can contact Glass Onion Vintage on their website or social media channels.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @princealbertnow