'It's Indiana Jones in reverse.' The real story behind the priceless objects found in our museums
Hit podcast ‘Stuff The British Stole’ makes Canadian screen debut on CBC and CBC Gem
There has never been a global power quite like the British Empire. At its peak, it spanned the globe and ruled millions. Its legacy lives in everything from our laws to our language.
Today, museums and galleries across the U.K. and the world are filled with artworks, jewels and priceless relics seized during the reign of the empire. They usually come with polite plaques; the truth usually isn't so polite.
Award-winning Australian journalist Marc Fennell unravels the twisting mysteries behind those objects and meets those who want them back.
New TV series based on award-winning podcast
Based on the acclaimed, chart-topping podcast, Stuff The British Stole is the story of that empire, told through its loot. It debuts on CBC and CBC Gem on Friday, January 6 at 8:30 p.m.
From a Crown jewel diamond to an iconic Scottish stone and First Nations regalia taken from Canada, Fennell uses a single object to tell a big story. Were these treasures really stolen? From whom? Who are the people now laying claim to these objects? And why do they want them back?
"I joke that it's basically Indiana Jones in reverse. Indiana Jones goes around the world and says, 'This belongs in a museum!' and then I come along and go, 'Does it really?"" Fennell told The Guardian. "I just think there's something really important about telling the story of the Empire from the point of view of those who were colonized."
"The British Empire is woven into the cultural fabric, in some way or another, [of] nearly every country on Earth, and it's especially true for we Commonwealth countries," says Nic Meloney, who commissioned the series for CBC. "This series explores the gritty histories of nations within nations whose realities were fundamentally changed by the aggressive expansion of the British Empire."
Koh-i-noor diamond: an infamous tale of ownership
The first episode features the fabulous Koh-i-noor diamond, one of the largest cut diamonds in the world. It was ceded to Queen Victoria in 1849 from the 11-year-old emperor Maharaja Duleep Singh after the British imprisoned his mother and deposed his kingdom. Worn only by female members of the royal family, it was set in the crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother for her coronation in 1937 and may be worn by Camilla at her husband's coronation in 2023..
The governments of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan have all claimed ownership of the diamond and are calling for its return.
The return of cherished Blackfoot items after more than a century abroad
The series also features the story of the ceremonial regalia of Chief Crowfoot, a warrior and diplomat who negotiated Treaty 7, signed between the Blackfoot and the Crown in 1877.
The beaded buckskin shirt, adorned with the tail of a weasel, matching leggings, a bow, arrow, quiver, and a pipe were obtained by Cecil Denny who was a co-signatory of the treaty. Eventually, they were purchased by a museum in Exeter, England where they were put on display.
"If items were stolen, if items were taken, if items were given, if items were sold, I don't know. I don't know how they got over there. I'm not concerned how they got over there," says his great-great-great grandson Chief Ouray Crowfoot in the docuseries. "My concern is, 'How can we get them back to their proper home?'"
"There was a time not long ago when school children sang God Save the Queen every morning in class. Now, one is more likely to hear a territorial acknowledgement for First Peoples. This is one sign that we may be on the verge of a social, philosophical shift," Meloney says.
Series debuted to record-setting audiences in Australia
Stuff the British Stole is a co-production with public Australian broadcaster ABC, where it debuted in November to record audience numbers, reaching over a million viewers within the first two weeks of launch.
"As another Commonwealth country, I think Australians are asking a lot of the same questions that Canadians are asking about colonization, power, historic and contemporary racism, and that's not to mention the advocacy and education coming from Indigenous communities within both countries," says Meloney, who hopes the series also resonates with audiences here in Canada.
How to watch
Stuff The British Stole debuts on CBC Friday, January 6 at 8:30 p.m.
You can also stream it free on CBC Gem starting Friday, January 6. Download the CBC Gem app from iTunes or Google Play, or watch in your browser.
Season 2 of the podcast series Stuff the British Stole is expected to debut on CBC Podcasts in the spring.
