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With FBI assistance, human remains trafficked as art to New York are returned to Vanuatu.


The national museum of Vanuatu received five crates of human relics, including skulls and effigies, that were repatriated by the FBI after an eight-year investigation. The items, seized from a deceased New York collector who had stolen them from indigenous cultures, were identified as belonging to the hill tribes of Malakula by curator Kaitip Kami. The effigies, made with the skulls of male ancestors and painted to depict their final stages of life, were part of a sacred men’s house in a bush village before being stolen and trafficked. The return of these fragile and valuable artifacts posed challenges for the FBI, but with the help of anthropology professor Holly Cusack-McVeigh and her students, the items were successfully identified and repatriated to Vanuatu. The Smol Nambas tribe in Malakula, who no longer practices traditional rituals like the rambaramp, were able to identify the ancestors by their effigies. The effigies are considered sacred and should not be displayed outside of Vanuatu, as they represent part of a human being. The repatriation ceremony in Port Vila was attended by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, who emphasized respect for cultural heritage and the importance of returning stolen artifacts to their rightful owners. This event marks a significant step in the museum’s efforts to seek the return of relics, including human remains, from around the world.

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www.nbcnews.com

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