To Sean M. Decatur, President; Scott L. Bok, Board Chair; and the Trustees of the American Museum of Natural History:
Recent investigations have revealed that the American Museum of Natural History continues to house the skulls and human remains of indigenous peoples from around the world, including those of Ovaherero and Nama victims from the German colonial period and genocide in Namibia (1904-1908). It is well known that German anthropologists and scientists collected such skulls to study them and try to support their racist theories of human development and supposed racialized biological differences. Many of these skulls came into the possession of German anthropologist Felix von Luschan. The AMNH purchased skulls and remains from von Luschan and his widow.
This unfortunately acquisition fits into the AMNH’s long history of supporting and partnering with organizations and individuals invested in eugenics. Examples include their financing of the Galton Society in the early 20th century, their sponsoring of the Second and Third International Congresses of Eugenics (in 1921 and 1932, respectively), and the leadership of curator Harry Shapiro, an outspoken advocate of eugenics.
In order to restore its reputation and do right by the descendants of these brutal colonial acts, it is vital that the AMNH work to restore all human remains to their descendants. Members of the Ovaherero and Nama peoples as well as the Namibian government have been working to bring reconciliation and healing and some closure to this horrific historical chapter, and the restoration of these remains is one important part of this healing process.