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Revised Schedule of Fees for Applications made to the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA)

REPATRIATION OF HUMAN REMAINS FROM THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

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ProposalDescription: 

The Smithsonian Institution, there are five individuals who were stolen from their graves at Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape and after having been dug up they were sent to the Albany Museum in Grahamstown to be received by the then director of the museum, John Hewitt.

Expanded_Motivation: 

In 1910 Hewitt wrote a letter to the Smithsonian requesting human remains of indigenous people from South America and in exchange he would ship over five skeletons of South African individuals to the Smithsonian. In a letter dated 8 February 1911, Hewitt wrote to Aleš Hrdlička, the then Director of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History: “Dear Sir, I am sending off tomorrow one box containing five Kaffir skeletons. These were dug up at Pt. Alfred a year or two ago and are the remains of convicts...” In March 1911 and in what was called a “Skull for a Skull” trade deal, five individuals were shipped out of South Africa and in exchange Hewitt received 15 Peruvian heads from the Smithsonian. On April 14 1911, Hrdlička wrote back to Hewitt, acknowledging receipt of the skulls: “I beg to acknowledge with thanks the receipt from the Albany Museum of the five Kaffir skeletons from Port Alfred, mentioned in your letter of January 23, and in exchange for them I take pleasure in announcing the transmittal, through Smithsonian Bureau of International Exchange of the fifteen human skulls enumerated on the enclosed invoice.”

ApplicationDate: 

Tuesday, July 25, 2023 - 10:50

CaseID: 

21988

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