Colonizers Consider Returning Ancient Artifacts

Stealing African artifacts and works of art has been a favorite pastime among colonizers for centuries but recent uproar has caused some of the world’s leading “collectors” to reconsider their ways. Several eighteenth-century art pieces from The Kingdom of Benin are presently on display at the Quai Branly Museum-Jacques Chirac in Paris, France, 2,000 miles from where they belong. The artifacts have been on display in France for 126 years. After some deliberation, French President Emmanuel Macron has demanded the return of twenty-six stolen pieces to their country of origin.

This begs the question, will other governments come to the same conclusion?

French laws state that the government does not have to give up property that is owned by the government regardless of how it was acquired. These “heritage laws” have been called into question by political scholars, historians and art enthusiasts alike. Many other nations have adopted the same principles.

The Elysée Palace has expressed a desire to hold a meeting at the start of 2019 between African and European nations in order to discuss a change in policy.                        

Subsequently, there is more ancient African art in Europe than in Africa itself. This is no longer a mere question of right and wrong. It is instead a demand to take control of a narrative and to provide historical representation for those who live in the African countries that have been looted for their priceless works of art.

The legacies of colonialism are unfortunately still rife in our “post-racial” society. It is important that new generations of African children are able to see and fully understand the depths of their own history and the artistic contributions of their people.

In addition, European children should also be educated on why these objects were stolen in the first place in a moment of true honesty. There is no shortage of information to aid in their understanding of ancient art. Currently, they are able to visit museums across Europe that hold pieces stolen from African and Asian countries without much discussion on how these works were acquired.

African children deserve the same privilege. It would be more beneficial for European children to actually go and visit these countries and see these art objects in the context that they were made for and not the sterility of a European museum.