In December 2022, the Netherlands repatriated the remains of to St. Eustatius. These remains, consisting of bone fragments and artifacts like ceramic and shell food remains, were originally excavated between 1984 and 1989 near the airport in the capital, Oranjestad . For decades, they were held by Leiden University in the Netherlands for research purposes.
Indigenous Remains Repatriated by the Netherlands to Caribbean Island of St. Eustatius - The World News; Dutch colonial restitution; Kalinago ancestors; Statia heritage; human remains return. In December 2022, the Netherlands repatriated the remains
This recent handover follows the March 2023 return of nine other Indigenous people whose remains dated as far back as the 5th century . Together, these acts complete the repatriation of the Versteeg collection For decades, they were held by Leiden University
, were originally excavated in the 1980s during a dig at the FDR Airport and spent over 30 years being studied at Leiden University. Key Highlights of the Repatriation The Versteeg Collection This recent handover follows the March 2023 return
– In a significant act of post-colonial redress, the Dutch government has officially repatriated the remains of three Indigenous individuals to the Caribbean island of St. Eustatius, ending a centuries-long exile that began during the violent colonial expansion of the 18th century.