Di art thief dem no have no shame

CHAKA-CHAKA SPELlING

NUFF A di art eena di museum dem eena England, France an Germany no belongs to dem. A thief dem thief di tings. An a Africa dem thief nuff a dem from. Mi no understand dem deh people from Europe. Dem claims seh African people a savage. Dem no civilise. Still for all, di civilise people dem waan heng on pon di art weh di savage dem mek. Dem waan people tings but dem no have no rispek fi di people dem weh mek di tings.

Mi go a di British Museum an mi see di whole heap a sculpture dem weh dem thief from Benin eena Nigeria. An dem no shame. Dem tell you straight seh a thief dem thief dem. Dem colonise di people dem an tek weh dem tings. An dem no waan hear nutten bout gi back. In fact, some a di people dem eena di museum business a gwaan like seh a help dem did a help out Africa wen dem thief di art.

Tek, for instance, Didier Rykner. Im run one news website bout art weh im call La Tribune de L’Art (The Art Tribune). Hear weh im seh bout di art we dem thief: “They became works of art in museums because Europeans said it was art. You know? It’s not, it’s not from Africa, it was not art. It was meant to disappear.”

Wat a bareface man! Wat a piece a wickedness! Ascorden to Rykner, di African people dem never know weh dem a do. Dem never conscious seh a art dem did a mek. It tek di foreigner dem fi come see di art an grudge dem fi it. An thief it put it eena fi dem museum. An mek nuff money off a di art. If yu waan see it, yu ha fi pay.

YAA ASANTEWAA

An a lie Rykner a tell seh di people dem never know di value a dem art. Eena long-time African culture, art a no sinting yu lock up eena museum. Art a how yu live. Wid style an fashion! Everything weh yu use every day a art. Yu basket, yu water pot, yu comb, yu clothes. An nuff a di art a fi di spirit dem.

Rykner im mussi no know bout

Yaa Asantewaa, one Ashanti warrior woman from Ghana. A she a di leader a di big war gainst di British governor im weh did waan thief di gold stool weh represent di power a di chief. Fi gi Missis Queen! Yaa Asantewa never mek fun fi show im a who a di queen fi true.

Ngugiiwa Thiong’o, from Kenya, im sight di vision of woman like Yaa Asantewaa weh never fraid fi no coloniser. Im write one book weh im call Decolonising The Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature. It come out eena 1986. Eena di ‘Introduction’, im seh a bout 20 year im did a tink bout dis ya language business an di problem wid di thiefing European dem. See weh im seh:

“In the 18th and 19th centuries, Europe stole art treasures from Africa to decorate their houses and museums; in the 12th century, Europe is stealing the treasures of the mind to enrich their languages and cultures. Africa needs back its economy, its politics, its culture, its languages and all its patriotic writers.” True word!

PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN

Nof a di aat iina di myuuziyom dem iina Ingglan, Fraans an Jormani no bilangz tu dem. A tiif dem tiif di tingz. An a Afrika dem tiif nof a dem fram. Mi no andastan dem de piipl fram Yuurop. Dem kliemz se Afrikan piipl a savij.Dem no sivilaiz. Stil far aal, di sivilaiz piipl dem waahn eng aan pan di aat we di savij dem mek. Dem waahn piipl tingz bot dem no av nuo rispek fi di piipl dem we mek di tingz.

Mi go a di British Myuuziyom an mi si di uol iip a skolpcha dem we dem tiif fram Benin iina Naijiiriya. An dem no shiem. Dem tel yu schriet se a tiif dem tiif dem. Dem kalanaiz di piipl dem an tek we dem tingz. An dem no waahn ier notn bout gi bak. In fak, som a di piipl dem iina di myuuziyom bizniz a gwaan laik se a elp dem did a elp out Afrika wen dem tiif di aat.

Tek, far instans, Didier Rykner. Im ron wan nyuuz websait bout aat we im kaal La Tribune de L’Art (The Art Tribune). Ier we im se bout di aat we dem tiif: “They became works of art in museums because Europeans said it was art. You know? It’s not, it’s not from Africa, it was not art. It was meant to disappear”.

Wat a bierfies man! Wat a piis a wikidnis! Azkaadn tu Rykner, di Afrikan piipl dem neva nuo we dem a du. Dem neva kanchos se a aat dem did a mek. It tek di farina dem fi kom si di aat an groj dem fi it. An tiif it put it iina fi dem myuuziyom. An mek nof moni aaf a di aat. If yu waahn siit, yu a fi pie.

YAA ASANTEWAA

An a lai Rykner a tel se di piipl dem neva nuo di valyu a dem aat. Iina lang-taim Afrikan kolcha, aat a no sinting yu lak op iina myuuziyom. Aat a ou yu liv. Wid stail an fashin! Evriting we yu yuuz evri die a aat. Yu baaskit, yu waata pat, yu kuom, yu kluoz. An nuff a di aat a fi di spirit dem.

Rykner im mosi no nuo bout Yaa Asantewaa, wan Ashanti wariya uman fram Gaana. A shii a di liida a di big waar gens di British govana im we did waahn tiif di guol stuul we riprisent di powa a di chiif. Fi gi Misiz Kwiin!

Yaa Asantewa neva mek fon fi shuo im a uu a di kwiin fi chruu.

Ngugi wa Thiong’o, fram Kenya, im sait di vijan af uman laik Yaa Asantewaa we neva fried fi nuo kalanaiza. Im rait wan buk we im kaal, Decolonising The Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature. It kom out iina 1986. Iina di ‘Introduction’, im se a bout 20 ier im did a tingk bout dis ya langgwij bizniz an di prablem wid di tiifin Yuuropiiyan dem. Si we im se:

“In the 18th and 19th centuries, Europe stole art treasures from Africa to decorate their houses and museums; in the 20th century Europe is stealing the treasures of the mind to enrich their languages and cultures. Africa needs back its economy, its politics, its culture, its languages and all its patriotic writers.” Chruu word!

Carolyn Cooper, PhD, is a specialist on culture and development. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com.