Stolen items returned to North Shore restaurant

METRO VANCOUVER — On Tuesday, a mysterious stranger quietly returned some items stolen from the Tomahawk Restaurant on Vancouver’s North Shore over 20 years ago.

The unidentified man, who slipped away after dropping off the stolen goods, probably didn’t know he was fulfilling a prophecy and putting uneasy spirits to rest. Or did he?

The answer, said owner Chuck Chamberlain, isn’t as important as the act itself.

"I’ve always felt they would come back. It was very emotional," said Chamberlain, whose parents opened the Tomahawk in 1926, and amassed a treasure trove of First Nations artifacts over the decades.

Chamberlain was in the kitchen when the man came in on Tuesday.

He made two trips in and out from his car, and left the six priceless items at the hostess station: a hide-covered drum, throwing stick, carved lamp, Shaman idol, Damien George print and oil painting.

"The guy came in, dropped the things off and said ‘these are for the owners,’" said Jessica Wnuk, a hostess and server who had been pouring coffee for a couple of regulars at the counter.

"I didn’t think anything of it," she said. "A lot of artists come in with different items and leave them for the owners."

When Chamberlain, 65, saw what had been left on the counter, he was flabbergasted.

"’Oh my God,’ I said. Where did these things come from?’"

Wnuk, who had no idea of the value and significance of the rare artifacts, told him they had been dropped off minutes before. "I ran outside, but he was gone. As mysteriously as the items themselves had vanished that night 20 years ago, they had been returned."

Chamberlain said the theft had been a tremendous shock, not just to his family, but to customers and Squamish Nations chief Simon Baker, a close family friend.

"It happened sometime between the hours of one and four in the morning. The alarm system had been compromised with alligator clips and so on. It looked like a professional job," said Chamberlain.

He had been on vacation in Barbados with his son at the time of the theft, and returned as soon as his father, founding owner Chick Chamberlain called him.

Six burglaries involving First Nation artifacts had occurred around the same time, including thefts from galleries and private homes.

"In each case, certain items were targeted, so at that time, the thinking was that it might have been a private collector," said Chamberlain.

Chamberlain said chief Baker and Squamish elders held a three-hour cleansing ceremony with cedar smudges, drumming and eagle feathers at the Tomahawk.

"They told us that every piece had a spirit because the carvings came from a live tree, and that life was still inside them. They said the spirits will want to come home, one day they will come home," said Chamberlain.

The thought was comforting, said Chamberlain, but there was no trace of the items, there were no tips and soon the trail grew cold.

Chamberlain said his parents, who were both English, started the collection in 1926, around the same time they opened the original Tomahawk Barbecue, a drive-in on the North Shore.

"My mom and dad came here, and they fell in love with the people, the art work, the way of life," said Chamberlain. Many of the artifacts were exchanged for food.

"During the depression, race colour creed didn’t really matter. Everyone had to help one another. So everyone did. It was done out of kindness and goodness," said Chamberlain, whose family developed a close relationship with the local First Nations.

"We all went to the same school. We all played together. We didn’t see a difference," said Chamberlain.

"Over time, they saw that my parents were collecting, that it wasn’t for resale or profit, but so people could see it, for sharing the culture, and they began to bring us things."

Chamberlain’s father was honoured with an Indian name, sat on Indian Council as an acting member, which was rare at the time, said Chamberlain. He also named his burgers after his friends: Skookum Chief, Chief Capilano, Raven Chief.

"The bond that was established is just as strong today as it was then," said Chamberlain.

"All of the items that were taken, we never filled the spots. They have always been empty. When they were returned, they were hung back in the exact spot before their being removed. There are still spots waiting to be filled."

Chamberlain said he wouldn’t think about pressing charges, but he would like to know where these pieces, with their wayward spirits have been these last 20 years. "It’s strange with them being returned. Where have they been? Whoever found them, how did they know they belonged here? If it was a collector, did he pass on?

Did the person have a change of heart and decide to return them?"

RCMP officer Marlene Morton said there is videotape of the mysterious stranger – a First Nations man, 30-35 years old with wavy hair and a medium build – but no tips have come in since the return of the artifacts.

"This is so unusual that I’ve never seen anything like this in 18 years," said Morton.

"It’s hard to put a value on these items … they’re irreplaceable."

"The person that brought these things back, I don’t know if he was just a messenger, was told to bring it here, I really don’t care," said Chamberlain. "We’re just glad to have them back."

dryan@vancouversun.com