Stolen or Blood Ridden Artifacts should be Returned to its Rightful Origin

Introduction

I could remember throughout middle school and high school, I had at least two trips to the museums in Toronto. At least, a child in Canada always had a trip to the museums to either experience or know more about other cultures and Canada’s culture.

Thinking back to when I lived in Nigeria as a ten-year-old child, I remember no such trips to learn much about my history and culture. I am not the only one who did not experience the thrill of going to a museum to learn about their culture. From friends and family members who I have talked to, they remember not going to a museum and sadly not knowing much about their history.

What exactly does that say about the history of the most marginalized continent in the world?

I could say that it is just terrible. I can think of 2 reasons why.

1. The Colonels
2. The governments

It is no secret that the Nigerian governments are corrupt neither is the disastrous ripple effect of the British colonization of Nigeria. From the slavery of the African people and the mismanagement of power from the British people to the Nigerian people is no surprise of the current state of Nigeria.

The Colonels

[1] The Western countries (mainly Portuguese) began slavery in what is now called Nigeria in the 1500s. Soon after the Americas, Britain and the other European countries joined along.

[2] Drawing to the 1800s, the ones who treated humans beings as property decided to abolish slavery. Policing the change in places where they participated in the Slavery Trade. The British began focusing on the natural resources and artifacts that could be used to further their wealth and power.

[3] Wanting to get rid of the kingdoms established within the tribes (Fulani, Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, but not exclusively these tribes), the British forces and other western countries began looting statues and artworks in 1897, known as the Punitive Expedition. The most known artifacts stolen were the bronze statues from the Benin Kingdom.

Benin City Artifacts displayed in the British Museum. Having the worlds’ largest bronze pieces

(Image from https://new.artsmia.org/stories/confronting-the-legacy-of-looting-from-colonialism-to-nazis-mia-is-reckoning-with-the-ancient-problem-of-plunder/)

One of the many artifacts displayed in the British Museum

(Image from https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/26/africa/africa-uk-benin-bronze-return-intl/index.html)

British soldiers looting Benin City in 1897 during the Benin Punitive Expedition

(Image from https://new.artsmia.org/stories/confronting-the-legacy-of-looting-from-colonialism-to-nazis-mia-is-reckoning-with-the-ancient-problem-of-plunder/)

Benin ancestral altar displaying the craved Elephant tusks

(Image from http://collections.smvk.se/carlotta-em/web/object/1502601)

One of the many Elephant cravings Tusk displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

(Image from https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/316574)

A regalia craved from ivory displayed in the British Museum

(Image from https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E\_Af1910-0513-1)

3 British solders amongst looted artworks in Benin City in 1897 during the Benin Punitive Expedition

(Image from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Interior\_of\_Oba%27s\_compound\_burnt\_during\_seige\_of\_Benin\_City,\_1897.jpg)

[4] At the turn of the last century, the British had nearly full over Nigeria due to their influence on the Oil Rivers Protectorate. In 1914, the British governor-general Fredrick Lugard, the now known country Nigeria was established.

Note:
The Africa continent first started Slavery among ourselves, which predated the arrival of the British and other Western countries. I am in no means downgrading the Slavery that occurred predating the arrival of the West.

The Government

It was October 1, 1960, when Nigerian got their independence. Between the 1850s and 1960s, Britain had given political power to the Northerners (Hausa and Fulani), leading the Northerners wanting to keep such power after Britain left Nigeria.

Map of Nigeria in 1900 - 1914. [Southern Nigeria Protectorate (1900 - 1) . (Image from http://www.dcstamps.com/southern-nigeria-protectorate/)

The current map of Nigeria. (Image from https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-Nigeria-showing-the-36-states-and-Federal-Capital-Territory-FCT-Abuja_fig1_260023562)

To this day, tensions between the Northerners and the Southerners within the political realm continues. Therefore, creating a divide between ideology, the main focus of the nation and, most importantly, religion. Thus igniting corruption.

Solution

The Western world has done a lot of damage to African countries that cannot be fully repaired. But starting with returning all stolen items from each nation is a step to righting the wrong.

The currently popular approach is to loan artifacts to the original countries. I find this quite absurd, to say the least.

A lot of countries such as Egypt, Nigeria and Congo, want their artifacts permanently returned. But, some museums say the country cannot take care of such delicate objects. To presumably say the original owners cannot take care of their valued items is flabbergasting. But if it is insisted, a way to resolve this is to work hand-in-hand with those countries in getting the materials and resources needed to take care of them.

In some cases, stolen artifacts are being returned but, not many.

There are a lot of items that were stolen, but due to lack of documentation, the origin is unknown. Those should be displaced in a museum dedicated to no country in particular but rather a worldwide organization where such prized objects and artifacts will be kept. No country nor political power will be used to take advantage of the artifacts. It would be hard getting it started especially, with countries willing relinquishing their claim to those stolen objects but, it is the right thing to do. If we can have the World Health Organization, I also believe we can create such an organization dedicated to stolen artifacts.

Conclusion

My main focus is based on Nigeria, but it does not stop with Nigeria. Other countries face the same colonizer ripple effect. In turn begins the classification of these countries as “developing countries” due to their local standing in economics, health-care and infrastructure. A way to build back a place to its glory days is by understanding the past. By understanding the past is to know the history. And a great way to know its history is through education, which can be provided through museums. The innate notation of artifacts taken from various countries all over the world illegal and immoral should be returned to its original origin period. They owe it to them to right their wrongs.

Reference

[1] (https://africasacountry.com/2014/04/historyclass-with-cheta-nwanze-a-short-history-of-the-slave-trade/)

[2][4] The Colonial Era (1882-1960) | Religious Literacy Project (https://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/for-educators/country-profiles/nigeria/colonial-era-1882-1960/)

[3] Nigeria’s stolen Benin art to return from British Museum on loan — Quartz Africa (https://qz.com/africa/1311574/nigerias-stolen-benin-art-to-return-from-british-museum-on-loan/)