ACTIVIST URGES FRANCE TO RETURN NATIVE AMERICAN REMAINS FROM ‘HUMAN ZOO’”

18,000 Skulls are conserved for scientific study at the Musee de l’Homme, Paris, France.

Tue 24 September 2024:

Corinne Toka Devilliers, a descendant of a Native American girl who survived being exhibited in a “human zoo” in 19th-century Paris, is campaigning for the repatriation of the remains of six others who perished there. These individuals, from the Kali’na and Arawak tribes of French Guiana, have had their bones stored at the Musée de l’Homme in Paris for over a century.

“They’ve been in a box for 132 years,” Toka Devilliers told AFP, expressing her indignation. She is pushing for their return to French Guiana, where they can receive the proper ancestral rituals.

Human Zoos in Paris: Exploitation and Tragic Fate of Indigenous Tribes

In early 1892, 33 Native Americans were taken from Dutch Guiana (now Suriname) and French Guiana under the promise of payment. They were showcased at Paris’s Jardin d’Acclimatation in a display of “ethnological shows” that exploited people from distant lands. Eight never returned home, with six dying from illness. One was dissected for “scientific research,” and another buried.

“My ancestor, Moliko, survived this ordeal,” said Devilliers. “They were promised payment, but it never came.”

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Campaign for Justice and Repatriation Faces Legal Hurdles

Despite a law passed in France last year allowing the repatriation of human remains to countries of origin, it does not apply to France’s overseas territories. Toka Devilliers has struggled to repatriate the remains of her ancestors, with discussions still ongoing within the French government to resolve the legalities.

While waiting for progress, Toka Devilliers arranged a shaman-led ceremony at the museum to honor the spirits of the six deceased individuals. She continues to search for contracts that might shed light on their tragic journey to France.

Memorials and the Fight for Acknowledgment

Toka Devilliers plans to continue her fight, not only for repatriation but also for the memory of her ancestors. She aims to have plaques installed at significant locations in France, including Saint-Nazaire, where the ship carrying the indigenous people docked, and Paris’s Saint-Lazare station, where they arrived.

In French Guiana, two statues were recently erected to honor those taken to France, symbolizing the lasting impact of these tragic events. Toka Devilliers remains determined to bring her ancestors’ remains home and ensure their story is never forgotten.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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