September 09, 2026 - 3097 views
Jamaica’s push for reparatory justice also demands for the return of sacred objects removed from the island under colonial rule.
Jamaica is pressing Britain to return sacred Taíno artefacts held by the British Museum, putting the recovery of its Indigenous heritage alongside its campaign for justice over slavery.
Culture Minister Olivia Grange is due to meet museum officials during her visit to Britain to advance discussions on repatriation. Her message is direct: these treasures belong to Jamaica.
“They are priceless, they are significant to the story of Jamaica, they belong to the people of Jamaica,” Grange said.
On Wednesday, the Jamaican minister will meet officials for planned talks amied towards a longstanding demand over cultural objects taken from Jamaica during colonial rule. Jamaica says this precious artifacts should not remain permanently beyond the reach of the people whose history they represent.
Birdman | Cultural Spirit figure of the Taino Arawak tribe.
Sacred heritage, not colonial souvenirs
Among the Jamaican Taíno works in the British Museum are the Bird-Man spirit figure, a male figure possibly representing Boinayel the Rain Giver, and a canopied cohoba stand.
These are not simply decorative carvings. They are sacred objects associated with the religious and ceremonial life of Jamaica’s Indigenous people.
The Bird-Man combines human and bird features, including a prominent beak and outstretched wings. The male figure bears markings beneath its eyes associated with interpretations of Boinayel, although the museum describes that identification as uncertain.
The canopied stand depicts a human figure beneath an elevated platform and is linked to cohoba ceremonies and spiritual practice.
The museum dates the stand to approximately 1028–1156 and the male figure to approximately 1256–1300. Both predate European colonisation by centuries.
They testify to a Caribbean civilisation with its own artistic achievements and spiritual traditions, long before European powers claimed ownership of its land and people.
Indeginous male spirit figure
From Jamaica to London
The museum’s records say the three carvings were found in a Jamaican cave in 1792 and exhibited to the Society of Antiquaries in London in 1799. Acquisition notes connect them with collector Isaac Alves Rebello.
Their documented movement into British collecting took place while Jamaica remained a British colony. Jamaica’s argument is that its cultural heritage should come home.
This is not a new demand. In 2020, the Jamaican government publicly confirmed that it was pursuing the retrieval of Taíno sculptures from the museum. The latest announcement signals renewed discussions, not an agreement to return them.
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Repair goes beyond money
Grange’s visit also includes Jamaica’s petition asking King Charles to refer questions about slavery to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
The questions concern slavery’s legality under English and international law, and whether Britain has a legal obligation to provide a reparatory remedy. Meanwhile former Supreme Court justice Lord Sumption has criticised that initiative, accusing Jamaica of taking advantage of British guilt.
The slavery petition and the Taíno restitution demand are distinct claims. But together they challenge a narrow understanding of reparatory justice as simply a financial argument.
For Jamaica, repair also means recovering the material evidence of a history disrupted by conquest and colonial domination.
The next test is whether Britain’s institutions move beyond discussions and produce a concrete route home. No return date or completed restitution agreement has been announced.
