Pillaged African Artifacts And Their Effect On African Identity: Why Repatriation Is Important

INTRODUCTION
The repatriation of pillaged African artifacts has become a crucial issue in recent years, as many of these priceless cultural and historical items were looted and taken out of Africa during the colonial era. These artifacts include sculptures, masks, jewelry, textiles, and other objects that hold great cultural and spiritual significance for African communities. For this article, artifacts are used to mean sculptures, masks, and other works of art of African origin which were destroyed and looted during colonization.

The importance of repatriation lies in the fact that these artifacts are not just mere objects, but are central to African identity and cultural heritage. These artifacts embody the creativity, ingenuity, and spirituality of African people, and serve as a tangible link to their past and present. Therefore, in commemoration of World Heritage Day celebrated on 18^th of April every year, this article attempts to explore the effect of pillaged African artifacts on the identity of africans and indicate why repartriation of these artifacts is important. Specifically, this article examines the impact of colonization and the slave trade on African artifacts.

It also explores how the loss of African artifacts due to looting and other forms of theft has impacted African identity and promoted a sense of belonging. This article argues that the repatriation of these artifacts is essential for restoring a sense of pride and connection to cultural roots and for promoting cultural empowerment for African communities.

IMPACT OF COLONIZATION AND THE SLAVE TRADE ON AFRICAN ARTIFACTS

Abdel Ati Ali (2016) notes that colonization accelerated and hastened the pace of devastation of all aspects of African life with the slave trade acting as the "initiator" of the destruction of African identity and culture. However, the entrance of European conquerors into Africa represented a watershed moment in the continent's history, with far-reaching consequences for African artifacts. African art was subjected to a new set of values and aesthetics imposed by the colonizers. As captured by tingatingaart.com (2023), while the use of new materials and artistic techniques

brought by Europeans allowed African artists to create works that were more portable and sealable and that depicted African subjects in greater detail and authenticity; it also caused the commercialization of African arts, and many African artists started to create pieces that were specifically made to appeal to the tastes of European buyers. This resulted in the creation of what is termed "colonial art," which was typically characterized by a lack of creativity and dependence on European subject matter and styles.

This ultimately resulted in the portrayal of African life and culture as strange and primitive. Thus, as African artists shifted away from traditional forms of production and became more reliant on the taste and interest of European buyers and the European art market, they were forced to create commercially viable works rather than works that reflected their own cultural identity and heritage.

This distorted African culture and history while reinforcing the colonial stereotype of Africa as a dark continent in need of European civilization. As Ngangura (2020), notes part of what occurred in Africa because of the colonial encounter was the exploitation of Africans' cultural treasures through symbolic violence.

The slave trade also essentially had it impact on African artifact. Thousands of artifacts were robbed, stolen, and exported out of Africa during this time, depriving African nations and cultures of important pieces of their history and identity. For the colonialist, African artifacts may have been misrepresented to be a thing made for the admiration of men but in essence, African artifacts are more functional than decorative. Among other things, the artifact was and still is a means for conveying nuanced messages that are hard to put into words. African artists typically employ cultural iconography and symbols in their work to make remarks about their identity and experiences (Situma et al., 2016).

Agreeing with this, Vogel and Thompson (1981) express that African artifacts were and still are made to express and support fundamental values both spiritual and societal that are essential to the survival of the community and its values. The preservation of Africa's cultural properties is still of utmost significance to African cultures and communities, despite the loss of many of the continent's priceless treasures. African artifacts continue to be crucial to the development of modern African cultures.

They act as a link between the current and next generations and their heritage and sense of cultural identity. African artifacts continue to be relevant today as seen by the utilization of these objects in modern fashion and artwork. Societies have therefore sought to protect and preserve their cultural heritage, especially in the desire to reinforce a sense of identity.

THE IMPACT OF LOST AFRICAN ARTIFACTS ON AFRICAN IDENTITY AND PROMOTING A SENSE OF BELONGING

Identity is a crucial aspect of human existence, and it is shaped by various factors, including culture, religion, geography, and history, among others. Our identity is something we uniquely possess and is what sets us apart from other individuals (Buckingham, 2008). Although most people prefer to conceive of identification in terms of individual characteristics like age, race, gender, and ethnicity, it covers considerably more ground. Identity is intricate and multidimensional, and it is fundamental to how we are psychologically made. However, Identity is used here in the traditional sense of having a true picture of who one is. Cultural objects influence identity in a variety of ways.

African artifacts, such as sculptures, masks, and other works of art, are an essential component of the continent's civilization and have deep psychological and cultural value. However, the predominant view of traditional African arts appears to be that it is done in reaction to and in service of a ritual - a perspective that has made it hard to perceive the artist as anything other than a slave to ritual (Okpewho, 1977). According to Situma et al. (2016), if African society's arts convey or portray a realistic picture of itself, African society's awareness can't focus on the negative. If art represents a society's consciousness, then it must be the result of knowledge, introspection, and a long-lived creativity. African artifacts are not only gorgeous; they are also culturally, religiously, and societally significant. In the numerous interactions of the many people and organizations and groups affiliated with them, African artifacts have a ramified function.

These artifacts perform a variety of functions such as regulative, distributive, and adjudicative, among others. (Armstrong et al., 1972). The importance of African arts in reflecting African identity is sometimes overlooked in historical, artistic, literary, and other fields. This weakness has resulted in a lack of understanding and the preservation of African art, culminating in a significant cultural loss for African people.

The fact that colonialism inaugurated a crisis of the postcolonial African identity is beyond question. The impact of colonialism on the African psyche was enormous, resulting in a sense of cultural alienation and a loss of connection to their ancestors. As Abdel Ati Ali (2016) argues, without a strong sense of a group’s history, it becomes hard to construct a salient identity within a larger community (The World). This suggests that identifying with one's history and developing a strong cultural identity are critical for having a true reflection of oneself and the worth of value that one carries.

As such, the loss of African artifacts due to looting, theft, and other forms of destruction has had a significant psychological impact on African societies. The identity of Africans was given expression through the use of art, which reflected and shaped it (Abdel Ati Ali, 2016). As such, the loss of these artifacts has meant the loss of a significant component of African identity. African artifact can inspire sentiments of amazement, wonder, and admiration for the diversity and beauty of African civilizations.

Therefore, with the loss of and lack of connection with the ingenuity of their ancestors expressed through artifacts, there is the inability of Africans to craft renditions of themselves which can then contribute to a shared and individual future. The colonialist had tainted and obscured the ingenuity, excellence, and might, associated with African history with that of slavery and other narrations that reduced the Africans into nothing but barbaric being with no acumen to achieve anything extraordinary.

At a point in time, the ascription of being an African was an outright abhorrence to many Africans especially those in the diaspora. Africa in their eyes was nothing but a place of barbarism, hunger, poverty, and a people of limited mental acumen to achieve anything extraordinary because their history has been falsified and cultural properties destroyed and stolen and therefore, they had no connection with them. Reconnecting with one’s history and past is essential because the past plays a role in the sense of identity by constructing the present (Abdel Ati Ali, 2016).

Cultural properties can serve as worthy resources to rely on to construct an unwavering sense of self. In this way, identifying with one’s history and the very things associated with it can offer a framework for locating oneself and experiencing a sense of connection, belonging, and purpose.

This explains why Wexler (2009), asserted that a strong historical connection can help people comprehend their people and their past and present in a historically grounded and stabilizing way. It could therefore be expressed that cultural identification, or identifying with one's cultural attributes such as beliefs, values, practices, norms, traditions, and heritage (such as Artifacts), and comprehending their distinctiveness is a critical pathway of relief and resiliency for ethnic minorities, particularly young people who experience discrimination, racism, and prejudice.

As such, reconnection with Africa’s cultural orientation and historical foundation of which lost African artifacts are an essential component, can provide a sense of grounding, self-worth, social connectedness, and purpose to African people. Therefore, in concurrence with Ngangura (2020), it is worth expressing that “The question of repatriation has everything to do with the possibility of reconstructing Africa’s cultural heritages because that is necessary and important to the psychic progress and psychological progress of African peoples.”.

WHY REPATRIATION IS ESSENTIAL
When a cultural property is taken without permission, it causes a profound hurt that is sometimes only healed by returning the stolen property to its nation of origin (Lenzerini, 2016). The pride, self-esteem, and identity of a people are inextricably linked to their cultural history, making it an important asset. Beyond its creative, archaeological, monetary, and aesthetic worth, cultural properties often has a spiritual link with communities. Repatriation of cultural artifacts has been shown to strengthen cultural identities in the modern world by sparking cultural renewal processes and encouraging the development of new types of contemporary cultural practices rooted in traditional values, rites, and artistic expressions (Simpson, 2009).

The repatriation of pillaged African artifacts can have a profound impact on the identity of Africans by helping to restore a sense of pride and connection to cultural roots. When these artifacts are returned, they can serve as symbols of African resilience and resistance to colonial oppression, and as a source of inspiration for future generations. Also, the return of looted African artifacts to their original locations has the potential to heal the wounds inflicted by colonialism. Moreover, the repatriation of these artifacts can also have practical benefits for African communities.

They can serve as important cultural and educational resources, and as a source of economic development through cultural tourism. However, the issue of repatriation is complex and raises questions about ownership, custody, and access to these artifacts. Many of these objects are currently housed in museums and private collections outside of Africa, and there is a need for a collaborative and transparent approach to repatriation that involves African communities and stakeholders. Nonetheless, the repatriation of pillaged African artifacts has the potential to contribute to a more complete and authentic understanding of African history and identity, while also promoting cultural empowerment for African communities.

CONCLUSION
African artifacts play a crucial role in shaping African identity and culture. They serve as a reminder of the rich history and diversity of African societies and their ability to persevere in the face of adversity. The loss of African artifacts due to colonization, the slave trade, and other forms of theft has had a significant psychological impact on African societies. However, despite these challenges, African societies continue to place great importance on the preservation of their cultural heritage.

The significance of African artifacts in contemporary times cannot be overstated, and it is crucial for cultural properties stolen from the continent to be returned. The repatriation of African cultural heritage is more than a symbolic gesture for people who have long been denied justice (New African Magazine, 2020). The repatriation of African cultural heritage is a means of healing the wounds inflicted by colonialism,and a cultural revitalization process, and an affirmation of cultural identity within our current dispensation. Repatriating African artefacts is an activity to right the wrongs of the past, not a reaction to them.

Therefore, I argue that the idea of ‘preservation’ which is a core tenet of UNESCO’s convention and defines why cultural properties should be kept in a place where they could properly be taken care of is not enough grounds for withholding other people's cultural heritage. I argue that the significance and the essence of these cultural properties or treasures to the very people associated with them should be of much more concern regarding in whose custody it should be. It will be more pragmatic for international organizations and UNESCO to support the move towards the repatriation of African artifacts.

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