Namibian skulls found in US museum
Namibian skulls found in US museum

Namibian skulls found in US museum

Jemima Beukes
Four skulls of Nama and Ovaherero origin have been found in the Museum of Natural History of New York.

According to Ovaherero Paramount Chief Vekuii Rukoro, this has been brought to his attention by lawyer Kenneth McCallion.

McCallion is representing the Nama and Ovaherero descendants in a class action lawsuit against the German government for the 1904-08 genocide. In a statement issued yesterday, Rukoro said the remains formed part of the private collection of Professor Felix von Luschan of the Okahandja Battalion. “The latter was notorious for the extermination of many Ovaherero people and the selling of these skulls to medical students and institutions in Germany. He is the same racist anthropologist who provided these remains to the New York City Museum of Natural history,” said Rukoro.

According to Rukoro, arrangements have been made for the Ovaherero and Nama delegation to view these remains in October when they attend court proceedings.

“I should say already at this stage that we are proposing to keep these remains in the United States of America in close proximity of the Statute of Liberty and the United Nations headquarters,” he said. He added that mystery surrounded the whereabouts of the skulls that were repatriated from Germany in 2011.

“It leaves us to decide that our ancestors' skulls remain free for the world to see and learn about the tragic history and consequently support us in our demands for reparations,” he said.

German scientists took the heads to perform experiments seeking to prove the racial superiority of white Europeans.

The skulls were discovered three years ago in medical archive exhibits.

“It is my hope that the New York City Museum of Natural History will have paved the way for other institutions in the United States of America to reveal similar items in their possession to expose the extent to which imperial Germany has committed crimes against the humanity on the African continent in the 21st century,” Rukoro added.

JEMIMA BEUKES

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Namibian Sun 2024-03-28

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Katima Mulilo: 19° | 37° Rundu: 17° | 33° Eenhana: 18° | 33° Oshakati: 20° | 31° Ruacana: 19° | 33° Tsumeb: 17° | 29° Otjiwarongo: 16° | 28° Omaruru: 18° | 31° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Gobabis: 17° | 28° Henties Bay: 16° | 19° Wind speed: 24km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 10:54, High tide: 04:57, Low Tide: 22:58, High tide: 17:16 Swakopmund: 15° | 17° Wind speed: 29km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:55, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:14 Walvis Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 33km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:54, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:13 Rehoboth: 18° | 29° Mariental: 22° | 32° Keetmanshoop: 21° | 34° Aranos: 21° | 31° Lüderitz: 15° | 29° Ariamsvlei: 23° | 34° Oranjemund: 15° | 21° Luanda: 27° | 30° Gaborone: 20° | 32° Lubumbashi: 17° | 24° Mbabane: 15° | 23° Maseru: 12° | 28° Antananarivo: 16° | 27° Lilongwe: 17° | 29° Maputo: 20° | 28° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Cape Town: 17° | 23° Durban: 21° | 25° Johannesburg: 18° | 28° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 32° Lusaka: 18° | 30° Harare: 15° | 31° Currency: GBP to NAD 23.93 | EUR to NAD 20.5 | CNY to NAD 2.62 | USD to NAD 18.97 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.33 | EGP to NAD 0.39 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.74 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.8 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.23 | USD to DZD 134.25 | USD to AOA 832.63 | USD to BWP 13.71 | USD to EGP 47.35 | USD to KES 130.98 | USD to NGN 1415.13 | USD to ZAR 18.99 | USD to ZMW 24.97 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 73909.5 Up +0.41% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1516.02 Down -0.13% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 12981.98 Up +0.34% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 28224.37 Down -2.87% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - 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