BY SHENIA ROBERTS – JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
After nearly 100 years the remains of the Lucayan Indians native to The Bahamas have been returned home. For almost a century the remains were sitting in a museum in Michigan in the possession of the Michigan State University.
The skeletal remains were received by The Bahamas Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation (AMMC) on Monday.
Several officials, students, residents and tourists gathered in parliament square to witness to this historic ceremony as it is the first of its kind in Bahamian History. The bones were originally taken by George R. Fox from Watlings Island, now known as San Salvador, nearly a 100 years ago. They were then kept in a Michigan University storage facility from 1952 until they were returned to The Bahamas.
During the ceremony Prime Minister Phillip Davis commented on the return of the remains describing it as “both deeply reflective and profoundly meaningful for our national story.” Additionally PM Davis emphasized that the Lucayan’s return home was symbolic of the spirit of our people, describing us as resilient.
He went on to solidify this point saying “our history is one of resilience, endurance, and adaptation, from the Lucayans to the enslaved Africans who built Fort Charlotte, to the Bahamians who carved out livelihoods from the sea and the land, each generation has faced its own struggles, yet emerged with strength and dignity”.
Additionally, Davis explained that the journey to retrieve the Lucayan remains has been both tedious and complex stating that it was only was made possible through the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
This law mandated institutions to return remains and sacred artifacts to indigenous homes and communities and Dr Yessica Yan, programme director at the University of Michigan, further highlighted the reasons behind returning the remains to The Bahamas.
She expressed that the laws view this decision as the most respectful and ethical choice saying that “we’ve brought them back home as part of our ongoing work in identifying ancestors and objects of cultural heritage.” She added that “respecting the wishes of the descendants and the local community and the handling and stewardship of these remains is both the ethical and appropriate thing to do.” Rosel Moxey, chairwoman of the Antiquities, Monuments, and Museums Corporation (AMMC), also commented on the exchange describing it as “a truly sacred moment.”
In his concluding statements Prime Minister Davis emphasized that the stories of courage and survival are more than just history lessons, but they are the foundation of who we are as a people. He expressed that “they remind us that our heritage is not just a collection of events but a testament to the resilience that runs through our blood.”
Some historians believe the Lucayans lived in The Bahamas for about eight centuries, from 700 AD through roughly 1500. Their population levels are believed to have grown to as much as 40,000. They were the first indigenous people to encounter Christopher Columbus. That meeting would eventually seal their death and extinction.
