The Acoma shield was stolen in the 1970s, and its whereabouts were unknown until it popped up at an art auction in Paris in 2016. The shield was eventually pulled from auction, and the Pueblo of Acoma began a fight to get it back. The man who was unknowingly in possession of a stolen sacred artifact came forward this year and decided to give the shield back to its rightful owners. [...] The knowledge of shield's true significance is closely guarded by the Acoma people.
The Open Society Foundations, an international grant-making organization founded by billionaire George Soros, has launched a four year, $15 million initiative to aid in restitution efforts. “The legacy of colonial violence has deep implications for the ways that racism and imbalances of power are perpetuated today,” Patrick Gaspard, the president of the organization, said in a statement. “This isn’t just about returning pieces of art, but about restoring the very essence of these cultures.” The Open Society’s initiative will support African lawyers, scholars, archivists, and grassroots organizations campaigning for the return of artifacts taken during the colonial era. It will also fund meetings between cultural leaders and work to promote partnerships between museums, governments, and other organizations.
