The Netherlands returns objects to Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of Texas

Objects from the Wereldmuseum Leiden collection to be returned to indigenous tribe in the US. This item contains the announcement by the Dutch government, the report by the Dutch advisory Committee Colonial Collections and reactions from local news stations in El Paso, Texas.

In response to a request by the United States and the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of Texas, and on the advice of the Colonial Collections Committee, Minister of Education, Culture and Science Eppo Bruins will be returning seven objects from the Dutch National Art Collection.

Ysleta del Sur Pueblo is a federally recognised tribe by the United States government that was colonised first by Spanish settlers in the 17th century. In the late 19th century the objects in question (including a shield and musical instruments), which are of great importance to the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, were wrongfully brought to the Netherlands.

On the basis of a provenance investigation conducted by the Wereldmuseum, the Colonial Collections Committee advised the minister to return these objects in line with colonial collections policy. See second link for the advisory and provenance report.

 

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