Correcting 'historical injustice:' Archaeological riches whisked away in 1900s finally returning to Guam, CNMI
- Admin
- 10 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Archaeological treasures from Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, which formed part of what is known as the Hornbostel Collection, will soon find their way back home.
"The return of these artifacts is in the midst of an era of cultural preservation and revitalization on the island of Guam,” Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio said at the return ceremony hosted by the Bishop Museum in Honolulu on Aug. 9.
Tenorio said the returned artifacts “are more than just objects” as they represent the CHamorus’ connection to ancestral lands and culture.
“Our people are embarking on a journey toward both a reclamation and appreciation of our unique cultural heritage and language,” he added.
He said Guam and the CNMI suffered “historical injustices" when the archaeological items were extracted from the islands in the 1900s.
“I am proud to stand before you today as we commemorate this history and take a profound step toward reconciliation," Tenorio said.
"This moment is not only the culmination of a multi-year, inter-institutional collaboration, but a victory in the decades-long pursuit by CHamorus who raised their voices as early as the 1930s, calling for the reclamation of pieces tied to their ancestry," he added.
Tenorio credited Rear Adm. Greg Huffman, former commander of the Joint Task Force Micronesia, for prioritizing the mission to return the artifacts, which are being prepared to be shipped back to Guam.
“We have all built relationships to correct this historical injustice,” Tenorio said.
The latte stones, which will be the first items returned to Guam and the CNMI, represent the commitment by Bishop Museum to take immediate and meaningful action to resolve this historical injustice.
The partnership between the Bishop Museum and the Department of CHamoru Affairs is the product of a long legacy of engagement and requests for return of these items, often referred to as the Hornbostel Collection, the governor’s office said.
Melvin Won Pat-Borja, president of the Department of CHamoru Affairs, said the agreement to return the cultural artifacts “is monumental and not one of us can take credit for it alone.”
The Department of CHamoru Affairs and the Bishop Museum initiated a formal memorandum of understanding establishing a long-term working partnership.
In addition to ensuring that these cultural treasures are returned to Guam, the partnership lays the groundwork for long-term growth and development of the Guam Museum with the prestigious Bishop Museum.
This includes a focus on upskilling and training professional staff in Guam through Bishop Museum's Te Rangi Hiroa Curators and Caretakers Fellowship program, an initiative funded by the Mellon Foundation.
"These collaborations are foundational as we strive toward institutional accreditation,” Borja said.
In the 1920s, Hans Hornbostel collected thousands of cultural artifacts from Guam and the CNMI, including human skeletal remains.
The U.S. military then shipped these items to Hawai'i, where they were donated to the Bishop Museum.
The entire collection is significant and totals over 10,000 recorded items (roughly one-eighth of Bishop Museum's Ethnological collection).
There is a long and well-documented history of engagement by the CHamoru people asking for the repatriation of these items, particularly the human remains, which were eventually returned in 2000.
Since that return, institutional interest waned and efforts lessened; however, the work was reinvigorated in 2022 as part of Bishop Museum's present-day consideration of ethical museum practices.
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