Indigenous Remains Repatriated By The Netherlands To - Caribbean Island Of St. Eustatius - The World News

The Netherlands completed the repatriation of 1,000-year-old Indigenous human remains and over 40 boxes of artifacts to St. Eustatius in late 2023, following an earlier return of remains in March of the same year. The items, including remains of three individuals from the "Versteeg Collection," are now in the custody of local authorities for respectful reinterment. Read the full story at Antigua News Room .

: Two professors from Leiden University personally escorted the remains back to the island on a commercial flight on March 10, 2023 . Read the full story at Antigua News Room

The remains returned to St. Eustatius were not recent discoveries. They were excavated between 1984 and 1989 at a dig site near the FD Roosevelt Airport in the capital, Oranjestad. Eustatius were not recent discoveries

The transfer agreement was signed in February 2023 by Government Commissioner Alida Francis, witnessed by island commissioners, cultural leaders, and members of the St. Eustatius Center for Archaeological Research (SECAR). The remains were then flown to the island on a commercial airline, escorted by two professors from Leiden University's Faculty of Archaeology. "We have been wanting to send the artefacts and remains back for a while now," said Jason Laffoon, Head of the Department of Archaeological Sciences at Leiden University. "When the formal request was sent to us via the Dutch Heritage Agency (RCE), we happily agreed to send it all back". Context: The Ongoing Push for Repatriation

"Our story is much broader and richer than even we thought, and it's up to us to tell this story," said St. Eustatius Commissioner Alida Francis, reflecting on the profound impact of returning these ancestors home. Context: The Ongoing Push for Repatriation