Maasai families, who were given cows as a symbolic gift by a museum in Britain as part of a process to build relations, have expressed appreciation for the gesture. However, they emphasize that it is not enough to compensate for the display of their cultural objects in the museum.
The Sululu and Mpaima families received 49 cows each from the University of Oxford, as reported by the Nation newspaper. Additionally, the Saiyalels and Mosekas families also received 49 cattle each, according to the K24 news site.
This gesture comes after five years since Samuel Sankiriaki, a Kenyan man, discovered a significant collection of Maasai artifacts at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford and petitioned the university for their return, as reported by the Nation.
While the Maasai families acknowledge the symbolic gift of cows, they emphasize that it does not fully address their concerns regarding the display of their cultural objects. The issue of repatriation and preserving cultural heritage remains a significant matter for the Maasai community.
Laura Van Broekhoeven, Oxford’s director of museum studies, is quoted as saying that the institution has 148 colonial-era Maasai artefacts but that only five were “identified as culturally sensitive family heirlooms”.
But local Governor Patrick Ntutu disagrees, telling journalists “we believe the owners were either killed or maimed before the ornaments were taken away from them”.
A spokesman for the Maasai families, Seka ole Sululu, told the Nation newspaper that they opted to pursue peaceful reconciliation with the university instead of suing but they are still expecting adequate compensation.