Africa-Press – Namibia. THE National Museum of Finland has officially returned two fragments of the Ondonga Sacred Power Stone to the National Museum of Namibia. The stone was handed over to the Minister of Education, Arts, and Culture, Anna Nghipondoka, on behalf of the Ondonga people and Namibian Government. The stone will be kept at the National Museum of Namibia and will eventually be returned to the Ondonga Traditional Community.
The handover took place in the presence of the Omukwaniilwa of the Ondonga Traditional Community, Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo, President Hage Geingob, and the President of the Republic of Finland, Sauli Niinistö.
“In my capacity as the leader of the Ondonga community, I hereby express our heartfelt gratitude for the repatriation of our precious and sacred fragments of the Ondonga Power Stone, that had been robbed from the people of Ondonga many years ago,” Nangolo said.
He explained that these fragments of the Ondonga Power Stone are not only valuable to the Ondonga community because of their cultural and historical significance, but also because the stone is part of the Ondonga community’s identity and heritage.
“The Power Stone represents to our people the ancestral breath of life into our culture and heritage, and the ability for our people to connect to mother earth – the source of life itself. The Power Stone’s full restoration shall reconnect our community to the past and rejuvenate our young people to their cultural heritage,” Nangolo added.
He, therefore, urged the National Museum of Finland to recommit themselves to assisting people to recover the remainder of the Power Stone, which is the bigger part of the stone.
President Geingob said that the return of the Power Stone should serve as an example to all those who “stole things from Africa”.
“It is very obvious that they belong to you and I think this stone is more than 100 years old. It reflects very well on the relations that we have,” President Niinistö added.
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