Seven items from Wereldmuseum in Leiden to be returned to Native American tribe

Seven items from the Wereldmuseum will be returned to a Native American tribe. This was confirmed by the Minister for Education, Culture, and Science, Eppo Bruins. His ministry has said that a transfer with the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribe in Texas, which is a sovereign nation recognized by the United States, will be happening soon.

Five of the seven objects were taken by Dutch collector Herman F.C. Ten Kate jr in 1882. The Colonial Collections Committee stated this in a letter to the minister in December, in which they advised him to return the objects. “According to the provenance report, Ten Kate did not hesitate to use bribery, coercion or threats to persuade people to sell objects of great personal or spiritual importance," the commitee wrote.

Two other objects are also likely from the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. The tribe was colonized by the Spanish empire in the 17th century. The objects were taken at the end of the 19th century.

The items are from the Wereldmuseum in Leiden's collection. These include a rattle, a shield, and a drum with a drumstick.