[CPProt.net] FBI: Theft of Indian artifacts on the rise

[Museum Security Network / Cultural Property Protection Net (Ton Cremers)]

FBI: Theft of Indian artifacts on the rise
Three recent cases illustrate danger


Sam Lewin 3/29/2005

In the span of just a few months, three museums featuring rare Indian
artifacts have been plundered, leaving authorities looking for the culprits
and culture aficionados mourning the loss.

For the tribes involved, the loss cuts much deeper.

The first theft happened in California on Christmas Eve of last year as
thieves entered the Daggett Museum in Barstow and spirited away just about
all of the Indian-themed displays. The stolen items included a $2,500 Navajo
wedding basket, arrowheads, American Indian baskets, pottery and more.

Leslie Lloyd, president of the Daggett Historical Society, said the burglary
was an "absolute disaster."

The museum was founded in the 1860's, and its collection apparently
reflected that history.

The second break-in also happened in Golden State, as the Cabazon Cultural
Museum in Indio was ripped off of the tune of $100,000. An example of an
item pilfered: a bowl woven by a Cahuilla woman sometime before 1865. The
bowl was made out of grass. A tribal elder compared the taking of such
artifacts to "being raped."

Many of the artifacts in both locations were on loan from area tribes.

The rash of thefts did not stop there.

In late March, the director of the Mid-America All-Indian Center museum in
Wichita reported that items had disappeared from the museum's vaults.

"It's very sad. We were upset to come in and find so many things missing,"
Charla Sanderson, assistant director of arts and culture for the city of
Wichita, told the Native American Times.

The city is handling the museum's affairs. Officials have reported that as
many as 270 pieces of art and artifacts cannot be accounted for, but no one
is really sure.

"All we can say is that some things are missing," Sanderson said.

The trio of thefts has led to increased calls for security- something
Sanderson said the Wichita operation is already doing, saying officials have
"beefed up" their vigilance.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation reports that artifact thefts are on the
rise. Many of the items are worked through a fence and sold to collectors.
"As the value of those pieces increases, we're going to see more theft," an
FBI spokeswoman said.

The agency has formed an eight-person task force to investigate the thefts
of cultural items.

Sanderson said the Wichita museum would be working with the FBI.

"We'll see if we can't retrieve some of these items," she said.

Sometimes the thieves have a change of heart. 

The night of July 27, 2001, someone stole 21 prehistoric Native American
pottery vessels, stone spear points, and replicas of painted pebbles from
the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory. Most of the pottery vessels
were from prehistoric Caddo Indian sites in northeast Texas, with others
hailed from the southwestern USA. Following the announcement of a reward,
many of the items were anonymously returned.

Many, but not all.

Laboratory officials are still looking for the remainder. They remain
missing to this day.

http://www.nativetimes.com/