Reuters North American News Service, October 24th, 2007
ROUEN, France, Oct 24 (Reuters) - A French court stepped in
on Wednesday to block the return to New Zealand of the mummified
head of a Maori warrior held in a provincial museum since the
19th century.
The mayor of Rouen offered to return the tattooed head last
week, but the Culture Ministry contested the plan, taking the
case to the city's administrative court. The court upheld the
ministry's appeal.
The ministry is concerned that such offers by individual
museums could threaten its control over artefacts from other
civilisations, such as ancient Egypt or Peru.
Culture Minister Christine Albanel has said the head is
covered by rules designed to ensure that museum holdings remain
intact. A decision could only be made after a recommendation by
a scientific commission, she said.
Human remains from Africa or the South Pacific were often
collected by 19th century ethnographers and many were taken to
European museums.
Ambassador Sarah Dennis said New Zealand had a longstanding
policy of trying to bring back human remains -- but added that
the decision was ultimately a French matter.
"The New Zealand approach is to go quietly ... and create
confidence about what it is we're looking to do, how we do it
and why," she told Reuters.
"This is something that is very important and profoundly
felt in Maori culture."
In 2002, France agreed to return to South Africa the remains
of Saartjie Baartman, a young woman dubbed the 'Hottentot Venus'
and paraded as a freak show attraction in the 19th century.
