Illinois State Museum Returns Stolen Sacred memorial statues back to Kenya

The Illinois State Museum has taken a significant step by repatriating over 30 stolen artifacts, deeply intertwined with the heritage of the Mijikenda people in present-day Kenya. These precious memorial statues, known as “vigango,” hold profound spiritual significance as they pay homage to the ancestors.

According to a press release issued by the state of Illinois, these 37 repatriated artifacts were originally taken from Mijikenda villages in Kenya during the 1980s, eventually finding their way into the museum’s collection through unofficial channels of dealers and collectors. Experts assert that these statues, meant to commemorate Kenyan elders, were never intended to be displaced from their rightful locations. Notably, the Illinois state museum officials were initially unaware of the artifacts’ unlawful removal from Mijikenda villages. https://en.unesco.org/about-us/legal-affairs/convention-means-prohibiting-and-preventing-illicit-import-export-and

In a commendable display of cultural preservation, the Illinois State Museum has returned these revered artworks to Kenya’s network of national museums, ensuring they are reconnected with their rightful heritage and historical context.

Recently, Brooke Morgan, a curator of anthropology at the Illinois State Museum, played a crucial role during a visit to Nairobi, where representatives from various US museums and universities gathered. 

The taking of artifacts is the beginning of the erasure of a country’s religion and culture, said Veronica Waweru, a lecturer in African studies at Yale and an archaeologist doing fieldwork in Kenya. “If you don’t see something, you’re likely to forget about it,” Dr. Waweru said. “Culture has to be maintained. If it’s not being created and maintained, you lose it.”

“We just don’t have the right to them,” said Dr. Morgan, who was part of the team that returned the vigango. “They represent a spirit.” Morgan emphasized the immovable bond between these objects and their creators, emphasizing that separating vigango from their rightful owners deeply impacts the spiritual well-being of the entire community.

The ongoing repatriation initiative by the Illinois State Museum aligns with a growing global movement that fervently advocates for the return of cultural heritage to its country of origin.