Thanks for links. I posted on one of them earlier today:
Thousands Of Artifacts Seized At 91-Year-Old Indiana Man’s Home
April 4, 2014 12:00:37 PM PDT · 22 of 46
OK, a little further research suggests that the 91-year-old “perp” may be harboring some Indian artifacts/bones. They are pretty much on the warpath about getting their ancestors’ stuff back from collectors and even museums. Even if the items were purchased legally, the Indians believe they still belong to them. The FBI “Art Crimes Unit” is examining everything
http://wishtv.com/2014/04/02/fbi-surrounds-home-in-rush-county/
AND a great video here shows part of collections: http://wishtv.com/2014/04/02/home-video-shows-artifacts-in-rush-county-home/
“Over the last several months, an FBI investigation has determined that Mr. Miller may have knowingly and unknowingly collected artifacts, relics and objects of cultural patrimony in violation of several treaties federal and state statutes,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Jones….some statutes and laws put into place in the last several decades may not have been in effect when Miller collected some of the items.”
Don’t need evidence, apparently when it’s Indian tribal stuff they are after. Running casinos has apparently given Indians enough money and political clout to push the gubmint around, at least during Big Chief Obama’s reign.
And as for the American Indian Movement, bah humbug. The gubmint does have an eye on them. Friend who is 1/4 Indian was asked to join, he said NO because he didn’t want to be stripped searched at every airport in the US.
A Ming vase was described as “questionable”.
GIve me a fucking break. There is nothing questionable about a Ming vase. It is what it is and has never been covered by any US law if it was obtained legally inside the country, or even outside the country (unless it was a known stolen item via robbery or fraudulent acquistions).
I’ve seen things in flea markets that were hundreds of years old which today someone could claim as “questionable”.
While I surprise laws that preserve endangered animals, esp. birds hunted for their feathers, items made long before these laws existed should be exempt and their owners not treated as “Raiders of the Lost Ark”.
The FBI gets stupider and stupider every day, or is it just their addled-brained spokesmen.
The FBI people I worked with in the past are pissing in their graves the way the Bureau has been mishandled for the past few decades. It is now a PC-dominated organization of girlymen instead of the once premier investigative law enforcement agency in America, if not the world (I also like the old Scotland Yard and Israel’s Mossad).
I have a degree and experience in Archaeology and what the PC led govt agencies are doing today will destroy Archaeology as a science and probably put a number of archaeologists in jail for innocent activities.
Well, as Obama once said, “Yes we can”.
“Even if the items were purchased legally, the Indians believe they still belong to them. The FBI “Art Crimes Unit” is examining everything”
They never belonged to them in the first place! The owners are all long dead.