Air Canada apologizes after headdress of First Nations chief removed to hold

Air Canada said it ‘understands the importance of accommodating customers with items and symbols of sacred cultural significance’. Photograph: Andy Clark/Reuters

Canada’s largest airline has apologized to a prominent First Nations chief after her ceremonial headdress was removed from the plane’s cabin, wrapped in a plastic bag and moved to the baggage hold.

Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, national chief of the assembly of First Nations, was flying domestically on Wednesday when she said her headdress was taken by airline staff.