Repatriation of the Makonde Mask to Tanzania

Wɔatwerɛ nsɛm wei wɔ Asante Twi mu

Makonde nkataanim no a wɔde aba Tanzania no yɛ ade titire wɔ mmɔden a wɔrebɔ sɛ wɔbɛsan agye Afrika amammerɛ agyapadeɛ no afiri Atɔeɛ nnwumakuo no nsam no mu. Makonde nkataanim no, ɛyɛ adeɛ a Makondefoɔ a wɔwɔ Tanzania anafoɔ apuei fam ne Mozambique atifi fam no ayɛ a agye din, na ɛnyɛ adwinni nko na ɛkyerɛ, na mmom honhom fam ne amammerɛ mu ntease a emu dɔ nso. Te sɛ Afrika amammerɛ ho nneɛma pii a wogyee wɔ nniso no mu no, wɔyii nkataanim no firii hɔ wɔ tebea bi a na wɔnte ase mu, na ɛduruu baabi no, na wɔaboaboa ano wɔ Europa, titire Germany, France, ne United Kingdom. N'asɔre no a ɛsan baa Tanzania no kyerɛ sɛ amanaman ntam ahyehyɛdeɛ no de n'adwene asi abrabɔ pa a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔsan de ma, atɛntenenee a wɔde dii dwuma wɔ bere a na wɔadi kan adi wɔn so, ne amammerɛ mu tumidie so.

Makonde Nkataanim no Ho Dwuma Wɔ Amammerɛ Mu

Makondefoɔ no agye din wɔ wɔn dua a wɔde yɛ ahoni ho, ne titire wɔn a wɔyɛ nkataanim ne ahoni a wɔde di dwuma wɔ wɔn nhyiamu ahodoɔ, wɔn nananom som, ne wɔn a wɔka wɔn anansesɛm no mu. Deɛ wonim no yie paa ne "lipiko" nkataanim no a wɔatwa no dua a ɛyɛ mmerɛw so na wɔtaa de nnipa nhwi ayɛ ho mfonini anaa wɔde siesie so. Saa nkataanim yi di dwuma titiriw wɔ mmarima ahohyɛso amanne (mapiko) mu, baabi a asafoɔ hyɛ de hyɛ nananom ahonhom anaa anansesɛm mu abɔde ho mfonini^[1].

Sɛ́ anka Makonde nkataanim no bɛyɛ ade a wɔde siesie wɔn ho no, ɛyɛ amammerɛ a ɛte ase a ɛka nnipa a wɔwɔ hɔ no ne wɔn nananom a wɔyɛ honhom fam nnipa no bom. Berɛ a wɔde wɔn fii Tanzania wɔ nnisoɔ ase no, wɔsɛee wɔn amammerɛ no, na amma awo ntoatoasoɔ a ɛbɛba no annya wɔn agyapadeɛ no bi.

Abakɔsɛm Mu Nsɛm a Ɛfa Nkataanim no a Wɔyii no Ho

Berɛ a Germanyfoɔ dii Abibirem Apueiɛ so de firi afe (1885 - 1919) ne akyiri yi berɛ a Britainfoɔ dii so no, asɛmpatrɛfoɔ, wɔn a na wɔdi tumi wɔ hɔ, ne Europe amammerɛ ho animdefoɔ a wɔboaboaa amammerɛ mu nnoɔma pii ano. Mpɛn pii no, na wɔtɔ saa nnoɔma yi a wɔnnye mpɔtam hɔfoɔ nhyehye mma wɔn - wɔhyɛ wɔn ma wɔtɔ, sɛ akyɛdeɛ a wɔde ma wɔ tumi a ɛnni nnyinasoɔ mu, anaa wɔsɛe nneɛma. Berɛ a wɔduruu Europa no, wɔbɛyɛɛ nneɛma a wɔda no adi wɔ nnwumakuo mu anaa nnoɔma a wɔboaboa ano wɔ ankorɛankorɛ mu, na wɔkamfoo wɔn wɔ wɔn ahoɔfɛ ho, berɛ a wɔtwee wɔn firii wɔn amammerɛ mu no^[2].

Ná Makonde nkataanim no a wɔsan de kɔɔ Tanzania nnansa yi no atena Europa tete nnoɔma akorae bi mu mfeɛ pii. Ɛfiri hɔ na nnipa a wɔtenaa ase wɔ aman foforɔ so no yɛɛ wɔn nhwehwɛmu, na mpɛn pii no, na wɔn adwene yɛ wɔn sɛ nyansapɛfoɔ a wɔrekyerɛkyerɛ wɔn amammerɛ mu no na wɔrekyerɛkyerɛ wɔn amammerɛ mu.

Sɛdeɛ Wɔsan De Wɔn Kɔɔ Wɔn Man

Tanzania mmɔden a wɔbɔeɛ sɛ ɔbɛsan agye ne amammerɛ agyapadeɛ no nyaa nkɔanim wɔ afe 2010 no mu, berɛ a wiase nyinaa de wɔn ani sii agyapadeɛ a wɔde bɛsan ama no so no. Wɔ afe 2018 mu no, Tanzania aban mpanyimfo fii ase bɔɔ mmɔden sɛ wɔbɛsan de nneɛma a wɔato din sɛ Makonde nsaano ahyɛnsodeɛ no afiri Europa, na wɔde wɔn adwene sii nnoɔma a ɛsom bo a ɛfa amammerɛ ne honhom fam nnoɔma ho so.

Nsakraeɛ bi bae wɔ afe 2022 mu, bere a Humboldt Nhyiam a ɛwɔ Berlin, a na wɔrehwehwɛ sɛ wɔkora Afrikafoɔ nnoɔma wɔ ne amammerɛ mu no, penee so sɛ wɔbɛsan de Makonde nkataanim no akɔma Tanzania sɛ ade a wɔde bɛsan akɔ wɔn kurom. Yei ne Germany bɔhyɛ a ɛne sɛ wɔbɛsan asusu nnommumfa a ɛwɔ hɔ wɔ nnommumfa mmerɛ mu no ho na wɔasan de nneɛma a wɔde adi dwuma anaasɛ wɔde basabasayɛ anya no ama no hyia^[3].

Ɔsan de wɔn baa ɔman no mu bere a na Tanzania Asase So Nneɛma ne Nsrahwɛ Adwuma ne Germany amammerɛ mu mpaninfoɔ rebɔ nkɔmmɔ, na UNESCO 1970 apam no ne 2018 Sarr-Savoy Amanneɛbɔ no mu afotuo no boa maa wɔyɛɛ saa^[4]. Na ɛnyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne kwan so nko na wɔsan bae, na na wɔde wɔn ho ahyɛ daakye mu biakoyɛ mu wɔ tete nnoɔma akorae ne amammerɛ mu nsesa mu.

Nsɛnkyerɛnne Kwan So ne Amammerɛ Mu Mfasoɔ

Wɔ Tanzania no, Makonde nkataanim no a wɔasan de aba no nkyerɛ sɛ wɔasan de biribi ama; ɛyɛ honhom fam fie a wɔasan aba. Abakɔsɛm ho akannifo a wofi Makonde man mu no gyee wɔn a wɔsan bae no fɛw so, na wɔsii so dua sɛ ɛho hia sɛ wɔde tete agyapade no ma wɔn a wɔfata sɛ wɔhwɛ so no.

Bio nso, nkataanim no a wɔasan de aba no ama nkurɔfo ani agye Makonde mfonini ne wɔn amammerɛ ho bio. Seesei ɛwɔ National Museum and House of Culture wɔ Dar es Salaam, baabi a ɛyɛ tete nneɛma akorae ne adeyɛ ho dwumadi a wɔde ma amammerɛ ho nkyerɛkyerɛ.

Sɛ yɛhwɛ mu kɔ akyiri a, saa afahyɛ yi hyɛ ɔman no ahosodi ne amammerɛ mu ahofadi mu den. Ɛsan nso ma yehu dwuma a abusuakuw ahorow di wɔ amammerɛ agyapadeɛ so, ne hokwan a wɔwɔ sɛ wɔn nsa ka wɔn abakɔsɛm, na wɔkyerɛ ase, na wɔhyɛ ho anuonyam wɔ wɔn ankasa kwan so.

Mmara ne Asetena Ho Nsɛm

Wɔyɛɛ wɔn a wɔsan de wɔn kɔɔ wɔn man mu no ho adwuma wɔ 1970 UNESCO Apam a ɛfa Amammerɛ Ho Agyapadeɛ a Wɔde ba Amanaman no mu a Ɛnsɛ sɛ Wɔde Ba, Wɔde Kɔ Amanaman no Mu a Ɛnsɛ sɛ Wɔde Kɔ Amanaman no Mu, ne Wɔn a Wɔde Agyapadeɛ no Bɛhyɛ Hɔ no mu, a Germany ne Tanzania nyinaa de wɔn nsa ahyɛ ase^[5]. Afei nso, UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) no kyerɛ sɛ nnipa a wofi aman foforo so wɔ hokwan sɛ wɔhwɛ wɔn amammerɛ, wɔn som, ne wɔn honhom fam agyapadeɛ so^[6]^[7].

Europa tete nneɛma akorae ahorow rehunu sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔsan de nneɛma a wɔfaa mu wɔ nnisoɔ mmere mu no ma. Nanso, nhyehyɛe no da so ara gu ahorow, na baabi a wofi ho kyerɛwtohɔ, ahyehyɛde ahorow a wɔsɔre tia, ne mmara mu akwanside ahorow da so ara brɛ nneɛma a wɔde ma no ase.

Ɔhaw Ahodoɔ ne Akwan a Wobɛfa so asɔ ano

Bere a Makonde nkataanim no a wɔsan de bae no adi nkonim no, nneɛma foforo pii a wɔde fi Tanzania no da so ara wɔ aman foforɔ so. Eyinom bi ne nneɛma a wɔde yɛ amanne, adehye agyapade, akode ahorow, ne nneɛma a wɔde kae nneɛma kronkron a ɛwɔ mmeae te sɛ British Museum, Pitt Rivers Museum, ne Musée du quai Branly.

Tanzania rehyia nsɛnnennen a ɛfa tete nneɛma ho, tete nneɛma akorae ho nneɛma, ne sɛnea wɔbɛhwɛ nneɛma a wɔasan de aba no so. Sɛ yebetumi adi ɔhaw ahorow yi ho dwuma a, ɛsɛ sɛ yɛde ntoboa, ntetee, ne ayɔnkofa yɛ adwuma. Anigyesɛm ne sɛ, Germany ne aman foforo ada wɔn ho adi sɛ wɔbɛboa nhyehyɛe a ɛtete saa, na wɔahu sɛ ɛnyɛ nneɛma a wɔsan de ma no nkutoo ho asɛm na ɛreka, na mmom amammerɛ mu asetram nneɛma nso.

Mmoano

Makonde nkataanim no a wɔde aba Tanzania no gyina hɔ ma biribi titiriw a wɔde resan ama Afrikafo tumi wɔ wɔn amammerɛ mu agyapade so. Ɛkyerɛ nsakrae a aba wiase nyinaa akorae mu abrabɔ mu no, na ɛma nkurɔfo nya hokwan sɛ wɔsan fa nneɛma a wɔn ani gye ho, wɔn nkae, ne wɔn honhom fam nneɛma. Bere a tete nneɛma pii resan akɔ fie no, Makonde nkataanim no gyina hɔ sɛ nea amammerɛ mu atɛntrenee, nkɔmmɔbɔ, ne baakoyɛ betumi ayɛ ho nhwɛso a tumi wom.

Baabi a menyaa mmoa firiiɛ

↑ Sidney Kasfir (2007), African Art and the Colonial Encounter, Indiana University Press, ISBN 978-0-253-34892-0, retrieved 2025-07-14
↑ Jianfu Chen (2017-12-06), "Local roles in the national scheme for intangible cultural heritage protection in China", Intellectual Property, Cultural Property and Intangible Cultural Heritage, Routledge, pp. 241–256, ISBN 978-1-315-71428-8, retrieved 2025-07-14
↑ M. A. Bennet-Clark (1957-07), "117. A Mask from the Makonde Tribe in the British Museum", Man, vol. 57, p. 97, doi:10.2307/2795251, ISSN 0025-1496, retrieved 2025-07-14 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
↑ 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 2025-07-14
↑ UNESCO (2007-01-01), "Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property Paris, 14 November 1970", Standard-Setting at UNESCO, Brill | Nijhoff, pp. 103–111, ISBN 978-90-04-16454-3, retrieved 2025-07-14
↑ "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 2025-07-14
↑ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples | Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD), retrieved 2025-07-14

[1] Sidney Kasfir (2007), African Art and the Colonial Encounter, Indiana University Press, ISBN 978-0-253-34892-0, retrieved 2025-07-14

[2] Jianfu Chen (2017-12-06), "Local roles in the national scheme for intangible cultural heritage protection in China", Intellectual Property, Cultural Property and Intangible Cultural Heritage, Routledge, pp. 241–256, ISBN 978-1-315-71428-8, retrieved 2025-07-14

[3] M. A. Bennet-Clark (1957-07), "117. A Mask from the Makonde Tribe in the British Museum", Man, vol. 57, p. 97, doi:10.2307/2795251, ISSN 0025-1496, retrieved 2025-07-14 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[4] 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 2025-07-14

[5] UNESCO (2007-01-01), "Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property Paris, 14 November 1970", Standard-Setting at UNESCO, Brill | Nijhoff, pp. 103–111, ISBN 978-90-04-16454-3, retrieved 2025-07-14

[6] "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 2025-07-14

[7] United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples | Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD), retrieved 2025-07-14

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