Posted on 07/25/2009 2:04:54 PM PDT by Lorianne
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The descendants of an African chief who was hanged and decapitated by a Dutch general 171 years ago reluctantly accepted the return of his severed head Thursday, still angry even as the Dutch tried to right a historic wrong.
The head of King Badu Bonsu II was discovered last year in a jar of formaldehyde gathering dust in the anatomical collection of the Leiden University Medical Center. The Dutch government agreed to Ghanaian demands that the relic be returned.
On Thursday, members of the king's Ahanta tribe, dressed in dark robes and wearing red sashes, took part in the hand-over ceremony, honoring his spirit by toasting with Dutch gin and then sprinkling the drink over the floor at the Dutch Foreign Ministry.
But descendants of the chief said they were not consoled.
"I am hurt, angry. My grandfather has been killed," said Joseph Jones Amoah, the great, great grandson of the chief.
The chief's head was stored elsewhere at the ministry and was not displayed during the ceremony. It is expected to be flown with the tribe members back to Ghana on Friday.
Tribal elders said after the hand-over that they were also angry because they had been sent by their current chief only to identify the head, not retrieve it. Taking it back without first reporting to the chief would be a breach of protocol, they said.
"We, the Ahanta, are not happy at all," said Nana Etsin Kofi II.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
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Oh, my God, get over it. Horrible things happened to my ancestors 200 years ago and I’m not still “hurt and angry” about it. Take off those frilly panties and deal with it.
> “I am hurt, angry. My grandfather has been killed,” said Joseph Jones Amoah, the great, great grandson of the chief.
Translation: “What?? No baksheesh? No payola?? Whaaaa!”
There was a story that beat that a few years ago: The descendants of an Anglican missionary received an apology at a reconciliation ceremony from the descendants of the people who ate him.
> The elders demanded the Dutch government provide aid to their tribe to appease the slain chief.
> Nana Kwekwe Darko III, who tipped the gin on the floor in a Ghanaian tradition of respect for the dead, dabbed tears from his eyes afterward and said he wanted the Dutch to build schools and hospitals for his people.
Ah-huh. I knew if I read further into the article there would be a demand for “compensation”, and here it is!
Yeah. Here in America I think that the word reparations should be replaced with repatriation and then passed into law.
"What am I gonna do with this?!"
I’ll take Holland over Ghana in a 2 hour war.
What do the Dutch have to do, give you head?
“tipped the gin on the floor in a Ghanaian tradition of respect for the dead...”
Just pouring a little out fo my homies who ain’t here!
> “What am I gonna do with this?!”
Jeez if it were me, I’d either make a wicked keychain out of it, or maybe even a shift-knob for my Chrysler...
> It would be interesting to find out why the Chief was beheaded.
I think the story says it was for killing two missionaries and displaying their heads in his hut.
If so, sounds like the punishment fit the crime perfectly.
And equally huge pockets!
I knew there was more to this story than just returning the head it appears that it was in retaliation for them beheading tow of the Dutch emissaries.
You mean it’s not a *shrunken* head?
Dang!
OK then, I’d make it into a hood ornament, with blue LEDs in the eye sockets...
would bring in good money on ebay.....
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