Colonial Era Anthropology and the Ethics of Repatriation in Africa

Wɔatwerɛ nsɛm wei wɔ Asante Twi mu

Ná nnipa ho adesua a wɔyɛe wɔ Afrika no ne ahemman no nkonimdie ne wɔn ani a wɔde dii dwuma no wɔ ayɔnkofa a ɛmu yɛ den. Mpanimfoɔ a wɔhwehwɛ nnipa asetenam nsɛm mu, asɛmpatrɛfoɔ, ne wɔn a wɔboaboa nnoɔma ano a wɔwɔ Europa no taa yi nnipa nnompe, amammerɛ mu nneɛma, ne nyamesom mu nneɛma a aka a wɔamfa ho kwan amma, na wɔde Afrikafo amammerɛ no yɛɛ nneɛma a wɔde kyerɛ nyansahufo ne tete nneɛma mu. Ɛnnɛ, nea ɛma wɔhwehwɛ sɛ wɔde saa nneɛma no san ba wɔn man mu ne sɛ, wɔhwɛ abrabɔ pa, amammerɛ, ne mmara kwan so. Atirimuɔdensɛm a wɔsan de kɔ wɔn man mu no hyɛ Eurocentric nkyerɛkyerɛmu ahorow ho nkuran, pɛ sɛ wɔsiesie abakɔsɛm mu ntɛnkyea, na wɔsan kyerɛ sɛ Afrikafo amammerɛ yɛ wɔn ankasa.

Adwumayɛbɔ mu Nyansapɛ: Nyansahu mu Kuw a Wɔtoto Wɔn Mu ne Adwumayɛbɔ mu Adwumayɛ

Wɔ afeha a ɛto so 19 awiei ne afeha a ɛto so 20 mfiase mu no, na nnipa ho adesua yɛ ahempɔn no adwinnade. Nnipa ho animdefo boaboaa nkatabo, nnompe, ne nneɛma afoforo ano wɔ nyansahu mu nhwehwɛmu ho. Na nyansahu mu nnipa mu nyiyim taa hyɛ saa dwumadi ahorow yi ho nkuran, a na wɔn botae ne sɛ wɔbɛkyekyɛ mmusua mu wɔ dibea ahorow mu na ama wɔatumi adi amammerɛ no so^[1]. Wɔkora nnipa nnompe a efi Afrika aman mu wɔ Europa tete nneɛma akorae te sɛ Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle wɔ France ne Humboldt Forum wɔ Germany, mpɛn pii a na wonnye ho ntom^[2].

Wɔkyerɛ sɛ Afrika amammerɛ yɛ tete nneɛma a wɔde yɛɛ nneɛma kronkron ne nnipa nnompe sɛ nneɛma a wɔde di dwuma sen sɛ honhom fam anaa abusua agyapade. Nsɛm a ɛfa Fang ahenkyɛw ne nkataho a ɛwɔ ahenkyɛw mu a efi Gabon ho no kyerɛ sɛnea wɔsɛee tete agyanom agyapade kronkron no na wɔdaa no adi sɛ abusuakuw ho nsɛm^[3].

Ɔsan a wɔbɛsan aba: Mmara ne abrabɔ ho nsɛm

Bere a wɔfirii ɔman no mu akyi no, nkurɔfoɔ kɔɔ so ara kae sɛ wɔnsan nkɔ wɔn kurom. Amanaman Nkabom Amanneɛbɔ a ɛfa Aborɔfo Ahofadie ho no (UNDRIP) si so dua sɛ Aborɔfo wɔ hokwan sɛ wɔde wɔn amammerɛ ho agyapadeɛ a nnipa nnompe ka ho san ba wɔn man mu^[4]^[5]. Saa ara nso na UNESCO 1970 Apam no kasa tia amammerɛ mu agyapade a wɔde kɔ amannɔne ne nea wɔde hyɛ obi nsa no.

Wɔ abrabɔ fam no, nnipa a wɔsan de wɔn kɔ wɔn man mu no gye tom sɛ nnipa nnompe no nyɛ nneɛma a wɔayi asi hɔ, na mmom wɔyɛ nananom a wɔwɔ nidi, honhom fam amanne, ne wɔn a wosie wɔn wɔ wɔn mpɔtam^[6]. Afrikafoɔ amammerɛ pii, te sɛ Akanfo ne Fangfo amammerɛ no, wɔ nananom a wɔsom wɔn ho nhyehyɛe a emu yɛ den, na eyi ma wɔsan de wɔn a wɔawuwu no ma wɔn a wɔn ho aka no yɛ ade a ɛho hia paa wɔ wɔn som mu.

Europa Ɔsɔretia ne Nneɛma Akorae a Wɔde Di Dwuma

Ɛmfa ho sɛ na emu da hɔ pefee wɔ abrabɔ fam no, mpɛn pii no, na Europa ahyehyɛde ahorow no mpɛ sɛ wɔma nkurɔfo san kɔ wɔn kurom. Tete nneɛma akorae ahorow no kyerɛ sɛ nneɛma a wɔde bɛsan aba no bɛpaapae nneɛma a wɔaboaboa ano no mu na ama ɔmanfo no ntumi nnya wiase agyapade no bi. Ebinom nso kyerɛ sɛ ɛyɛ mmara kwan so esiane sɛ wɔnnya nkrataa biara a ɛkyerɛ sɛ ɛyɛ korɔnbɔ anaa nhyɛsoɔ nti^[7]. Nanso, saa asɛm yi bu ani gu tumi a aman a wɔfaa so dii tumi no yɛ soronko no so.

Sarr-Savoy Amanneɛbɔ a wɔde too gua wɔ 2018 mu, a France Ɔmampanyin Emmanuel Macron na ɔhyɛe no, na ɛyɛ nsakrae kɛse. Ɛkaa sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde Afrika amammerɛ agyapadeɛ a wɔgye fii hɔ wɔ nnommumfa mu no nyinaa san ba, na ɛkaa aman te sɛ France, Germany, ne Netherlands sɛ wɔnhyɛ aseɛ mfa nneɛma bi nkɔ wɔn kurom^[8]. Nanso, nnipa pii a wɔsan ba no yɛ sɛnkyerɛnne kwan so anaa wɔyɛ no nkakrankakra.

Afrikafo a Wɔhyɛ Nkɔso Kwan ma Wɔsan Kɔ Wɔn Asase So

Mfiase no, na aman a wɔsan kɔ wɔn man mu no nyɛ amanne bi kɛkɛ; ɛyɛ Afrikafo nyinaa ne nwomanimfoɔ a wɔwɔ hɔ no dwumadie. Aman bi te sɛ Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Africa, ne Gabon rehwehwɛ sɛ wɔde nneɛma kronkron ne nananom a wɔawuwu no ma wɔn. Nnwumakuo bi te sɛ Cape Town Sukuupɔn ne Pan-African Restitution Initiative ka sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔsan de saa nnompe yi ba na wɔkae no yie^[9].

Sɛ nhwɛsoɔ no, wɔ South Africa no, wɔdi nkurɔfo a wɔsan kɔ wɔn kurom ho amanne wɔ honhom fam ne ɔmanfo mu, a nea ɛka ho ne wɔn a wɔsan kɔsie wɔn ne ayaresa ho amanne ahorow, a ɛma wɔsan nya wɔn nananom anim anuonyam na ɛma wonya abotɔyam^[10].

Atɛntenenee ne nsiesie kwan ahodoɔ a akɔ so

Sɛ wɔsan de nneɛma kɔ fie a, ɛnyɛ nneɛma no nkutoo ho asɛm na ɛreka; ɛyɛ atɛntenenee a wɔde siesie ade ho asɛm. Nnipa nnompe, nneɛma kronkron, ne nneɛma a wɔagye afi hɔ a wɔasan de aba no yɛ adanse a ɛkyerɛ sɛ wɔresan akeka wɔn ho wɔ abakɔsɛm mu. Ɛka Atɔe fam tete nneɛma akorae ho sɛ wɔmfa abrabɔ pa nni dwuma, na ɛhwehwɛ sɛ amammerɛ mu abusuabɔ a ɛteɛ bɛtra Afrika ne wiase nyinaa agyapadeɛ fekuw ntam.

Nhomanimfo kyerɛ sɛ amammerɛ kwan so a wɔsan de nkurɔfo kɔ wɔn kurom no mfa honam fam nneɛma a wɔsan de wɔn kɔ no nko ara ho, na mmom ɛfa nimdeɛ a wɔde ma, tumi a wɔde bɛhyɛ mu, ne mmoa a wɔde ma mmeae a wɔkora nneɛma so wɔ hɔ na wɔkyerɛ nneɛma yi ase nso ho^[2]^[3].

Mmoano

Nnipa ho adesua a wɔyɛe wɔ Afrika no maa nnipa nyaa amammerɛ ne nananom ho agyapade wɔ nyansahu mu. Ɛnnɛ, nneɛma a wɔsan de kɔ wɔn kurom no ho mmara hwehwɛ sɛ wɔde saa nneɛma yi kɔma wɔn a wɔfata sɛ wɔde kɔ wɔn nkyɛn no esiane nnipa nidi, amammerɛ mu atɛntrenee, ne abakɔsɛm mu atemmu nti. Afrikafo adasamma nnompe ne nneɛma kronkron a wɔde bɛsan ama no nyɛ biribi a wɔada no adi kɛkɛ, na mmom ɛyɛ abrabɔ fam asɛde a wɔada no adi akyɛ.

Mmeaeɛ a menyaa mmoa firiiɛ

↑ Andi Zimmerman (2001), Anthropology and Antihumanism in Imperial Germany, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 978-0-226-98342-4, retrieved 2025-07-03
1 2 Mathilde Pavis, Andrea Wallace (2019), "Response to the 2018 Sarr-Savoy Report: Statement on Intellectual Property Rights and Open Access Relevant to the Digitization and Restitution of African Cultural Heritage and Associated Materials", SSRN Electronic Journal, doi:10.2139/ssrn.3378200, ISSN 1556-5068, retrieved 2025-07-03
1 2 "The New York Times reader: arts and culture", Choice Reviews Online, vol. 48, no. 02, pp. 48–0692-48-0692, 2010-10-01, doi:10.5860/choice.48-0692, ISSN 0009-4978, retrieved 2025-07-03
↑ "The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples", Reflections on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Hart Publishing, ISBN 978-1-84113-878-7, retrieved 2025-07-03
↑ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples | Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD), retrieved 2025-07-03
↑ CRESSIDA FFORDE, "Collection, repatriation and identity", THE DEAD AND THEIR POSSESSIONS, Abingdon, UK: Taylor & Francis, ISBN 978-0-203-28052-2, retrieved 2025-07-03
↑ Christa Roodt (2015-04-24), "Restitution: Complexities and opportunities introduced by private international law", Private International Law, Art and Cultural Heritage, Edward Elgar Publishing, ISBN 978-1-78100-216-2, retrieved 2025-07-03
↑ Mathilde Pavis, Andrea Wallace (2019), "Response to the 2018 Sarr-Savoy Report: Statement on Intellectual Property Rights and Open Access Relevant to the Digitization and Restitution of African Cultural Heritage and Associated Materials", SSRN Electronic Journal, doi:10.2139/ssrn.3378200, ISSN 1556-5068, retrieved 2025-07-03
↑ "Notes", The Brutish Museums, Pluto Books, pp. 253–279, 2020-11-05, ISBN 978-1-78680-683-3, retrieved 2025-07-03
↑ Cherryl Walker (2012-12), "Finite Land: Challenges Institutionalising Land Restitution in South Africa, 1995–2000", Journal of Southern African Studies, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 809–826, doi:10.1080/03057070.2012.750915, ISSN 0305-7070, retrieved 2025-07-03 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[1] Andi Zimmerman (2001), Anthropology and Antihumanism in Imperial Germany, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 978-0-226-98342-4, retrieved 2025-07-03

[:0-2] 1 2 Mathilde Pavis, Andrea Wallace (2019), "Response to the 2018 Sarr-Savoy Report: Statement on Intellectual Property Rights and Open Access Relevant to the Digitization and Restitution of African Cultural Heritage and Associated Materials", SSRN Electronic Journal, doi:10.2139/ssrn.3378200, ISSN 1556-5068, retrieved 2025-07-03

[:1-3] 1 2 "The New York Times reader: arts and culture", Choice Reviews Online, vol. 48, no. 02, pp. 48–0692-48-0692, 2010-10-01, doi:10.5860/choice.48-0692, ISSN 0009-4978, retrieved 2025-07-03

[4] "The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples", Reflections on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Hart Publishing, ISBN 978-1-84113-878-7, retrieved 2025-07-03

[5] United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples | Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD), retrieved 2025-07-03

[6] CRESSIDA FFORDE, "Collection, repatriation and identity", THE DEAD AND THEIR POSSESSIONS, Abingdon, UK: Taylor & Francis, ISBN 978-0-203-28052-2, retrieved 2025-07-03

[7] Christa Roodt (2015-04-24), "Restitution: Complexities and opportunities introduced by private international law", Private International Law, Art and Cultural Heritage, Edward Elgar Publishing, ISBN 978-1-78100-216-2, retrieved 2025-07-03

[8] Mathilde Pavis, Andrea Wallace (2019), "Response to the 2018 Sarr-Savoy Report: Statement on Intellectual Property Rights and Open Access Relevant to the Digitization and Restitution of African Cultural Heritage and Associated Materials", SSRN Electronic Journal, doi:10.2139/ssrn.3378200, ISSN 1556-5068, retrieved 2025-07-03

[9] "Notes", The Brutish Museums, Pluto Books, pp. 253–279, 2020-11-05, ISBN 978-1-78680-683-3, retrieved 2025-07-03

[10] Cherryl Walker (2012-12), "Finite Land: Challenges Institutionalising Land Restitution in South Africa, 1995–2000", Journal of Southern African Studies, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 809–826, doi:10.1080/03057070.2012.750915, ISSN 0305-7070, retrieved 2025-07-03 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

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