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Courtesy of William Holland
Cameroonians marvel over an 18th-century slave shackle that was brought to Africa for a "history lesson" by African-American businessman William Holland, at far left.
Decades after they were taken away, African ceremonial masks have been returned to the communities that venerated them, thanks to an African-American family researcher who bought them through eBay.
Georgia businessman William Holland, who has been tracing his roots in West Africa for more than a decade, carried the three masks back with him last month during his latest trek to Cameroon. That's not all he was carrying: Holland also brought relics from the mid-18th century — the time when his ancestor was taken from Cameroon, loaded onto a ship, brought to Virginia and sold into slavery.
The masks made a big impression on the hundreds of Cameroonians who gathered for Holland's show-and-tell session. But the slave chains made an even bigger impression.
"When we brought the shackles out, that's when they were about to cry," he said. "They were shocked to see an authentic item that brought so much pain along with it."
Holland's frequent trips to Cameroon's Oku and Nso regions have been a learning experience for him as well as for his long-lost cousins. It took years for Holland to narrow down his approximate place of origin, based on DNA tests as well as a study of American and African pedigrees. Along the way, Holland found out that one of his ancestors was a slave who was pressed into service in the Confederate Army, and that more distant ancestors were members of royal families in Cameroon.
During the buildup to his latest trip, Holland combed through online auction sales, looking for artifacts that could help bridge the gap between the African and American history of his family. He worked with Cameroonian contacts to identify two elephant masks that were associated with the Nso people's secret rituals, plus a wooden mask with a human visage that was used by Oku families during funerals.
The masks were sold out of Africa in the 1970s or 1980s under murky circumstances, and eventually ended up in private hands. "It's almost the same thing as the slave trade," Holland observed. "Outsiders go to a middleman and ask them to get something or someone for them. 'I'm giving you guns, I'm giving you cowrie shells, I'm giving you iron bars. Bring me the people to fill this ship, and I'll give you this.' That's what it reminded me of."
Holland spent hundreds of dollars of his own money to buy the masks, as well as other items such as throwing knives, the wrist and ankle shackles and a "monkey wrench quilt" — a type of quilt that slaves used to signal each other that it was time to wrap up their tools and get ready for an escape. Then he headed for the Cameroonian towns of Kumbo, Bamenda and Oku.
Courtesy of William Holland
The Fon of Nso, leader of one of Cameroon's tribal groups, looks on as his aides examine a Cameroonian throwing knife that was purchased on eBay. Some of the aides are looking at a photo of a statue of Ngonnso that was taken from Cameroon to Berlin before 1910. Cameroonian authorities are seeking the statue's return.
Courtesy of William Holland
William Holland, left, gets his picture taken with Cameroonian Prime Minister Philemon Yunji Yang and Emmanuel Motika, a physics teacher from the Cameroonian town of Bamenda who is an extremely distant relative of Holland.
"It's more than just bringing things back," he explained. "It's a history lesson about those who were taken away during the slave trade. The Cameroonians didn't receive this information in school."
Holland's trip caused a sensation in Cameroon: More than 1,000 townspeople turned out to see the American who was bringing their treasures back. In Cameroon's capital, Yaounde, Holland met the prime minister. Journalists clamored for interviews. "It was crazy," Holland said. "It was a media circus."
The chiefs of the Nso and Oku peoples, who are known as "fons," joined up to give Holland a title that combines two honored names: "Shufaay," a title that is typically given to the Nso noble next in line to the king; and "Bailack," which recognizes Holland's connection to a patriarch who came to Oku from Nso centuries ago. "No Nso son or daughter is allowed to shake hands with a Shufaay again, if they are not of the same status," Holland said. "This goes back to the ancient way of doing things."
All the attention was great — but for Holland, the most important result of the trip was the restoration of pieces of African history to their rightful places. Authorities in Kumbo are building a cultural museum that will eventually house the elephant masks and other Nso artifacts. And family members in the Oku region now have the funerary mask they were missing when their loved ones passed away.
The Fon of Oku drew a lesson from Holland's round of eBay diplomacy — a lesson that's particularly timely for the month of February, recognized in the United States as Black History Month. "He was telling people not to sell these precious things from our society," Holland recalled. "This is wrong. No matter how much money they offer, do not sell."
Holland is already planning his next trip, to the Cameroonian city of Buea in May. He'll be taking over some new history lessons to his ancestral homeland, but he's also hoping to bring back some business: Holland is planning to start up a travel business to put other African-Americans in touch with their roots, and the Africa Travel Association's annual congress in Buea seems like the perfect place for networking.
"I guess you'd call it 'historical tourism,'" Holland said. "Cameroon is really an untapped market for that."
Previous chapters in the African saga:
- 2010: DNA points to royal roots in Africa
- 2011: Family roots get tangled up in Africa
- 2011: Black history saga comes full circle
- 2011: Africans visit their American cousins
- 2011: Genes tell a tale as big as Africa
- 2012: African-American's roots revised
- 2012: Tribal treasures recovered through eBay
- African American news from theGrio
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
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Isn't it nice when a person who reaches a certain age and station in life is able to do something for somebody else! Good for you, Mr Holland.
When I saw the headline, I thought it was going to be about Barrack Hussien Obama. Oh well.
Well, while I appreciate the senitment, the goodwill, faith, trust, willingness to do the right thing etc., in 10 years these treasures will be either stolen again, destroyed, or moldered to dust.
wowo1- (in 10 years these treasures will be either stolen again, destroyed, or moldered to dust.)
The choice to do an action, is always based on your motivation for doing so, based on principals as the driving factor. Once made, you must live with the consequences you can't choose.
This man was motivated was to make a connection with his ancestors people. His principals, dignity and respect for cultural history, restoring what was stolen or sold, with preserving what remains. As a result,the consequences,are he has made new friends, connected with distant relatives he didn't know before, and has new opportunities in a business venture.
Now, we can't live our lives trying to decide if we should do something good, based on how long the effects of that good deed might last.That would be such an illogical way to go through life. Because after all,everything we own,eventually will end up broken,worn away,destroyed by time,or when we die, passed on. We are stewards at best. Life is tempary.We only have today one moment at a time. We must make the most of it.
(Well, while I appreciate the senitment, the goodwill, faith, trust, willingness to do the right thing etc.)
So, for however long this man's generosity lasts, these people will enjoy his precious gifts, the beneficiaries of his hard work, devotion and willingness to reach out and discover his roots.Helping to bring some healing to a history that is filled with suffering and tragedy.That is a legacy that nothing nothing can destroy. And you don't have to appreciate it, but those people no doubt will absolutely treasure it .
I do not agree. I am a Cherokee Indian with ancestors from Murphy North Carolina. I definitely agree with Mr Holland for going ahead with his try to find his ancestors. I found mine going back to the first contact between the British and the Native Americans. I am proud of my ancestors and wish I could have had to chance to meet them face to face.
Good luck, Sir and keep on looking. You will be shocked how much fun it is.
oops, I am such a bad typist, the word is sentiment, not senitment! Mea Culpa.
This is all fine and commendable, but why is it news ... and why is it news on the science page?
if not for science, he would not have been able to trace the DNA that held HIS ROOTS. This is similar to Alex Haley who tracked his heritage thru tales - except this one has DEFINITIVE PROOF of his connection to that lineage.
"Relics from the mid-18th century" Perhaps archaeology is a science. Hmmm?
so lets get somethings straightened up from my perscetive
the zohar is real that kabbalah is real think about kiddish -kiddie- kdi
now i think it is cliff notes to a meeting long ago about totems and who came first and the role they play and the top of the totem is the judge
it may to be with the length of coloums and do not ignore the length of the nothing -like morse code
symbols are the tribes -someone has to translate it -the more everyone knows the better and we can all coexist and learn from each others cultures then kill them off -they should be celebrated
2) whether you like it or not and i don't apologize for it but my science is all my own thought -i don't back up files when it's in my head-i earned payment for that thats my problem with it is that everyone else profits and not me -i don't it all i just want a share and a chance to participate in earths greatest moment and it's now saturday
3)the story of drinking the blood whether you like it or not questions faith because an atheist(does not believe in god) asks you to disprove him wrong you don't -you see i would love the chance to help the church upgrade it's image -you see i took away the picture and i listened and it seems to think that throwing money away to people to cover up corruption is the answer-quite the opposite-i have recently at my sisiter inlaws church been impressed by father miquel and the work they do-so i know there s more good then bad we just need to tweak it because when you listen to the message it's a great message for everyone ans ar ell the stories of the gods--would you pay me to do your pr because i think we can all come out of this better off-stop the crime and become god's warriors-thats what you signed up for -not me
remind sme of 49 warriors samurai -cdi who committed suicide in the name of justice
china a japan should share the island and make a great temple to the samurai on it and nijas
telepathy is no replacement for talking because i think that's what those monks do-everyone needs a say
as for america i would do exactly what i said would lets bail each other pout in all of the a encased countries and contients- the russians just moved opposite-nice guys
ok if nasa belonged to america then why is it not have america in the name?
theres more to life than meets the eye -when does a guy who lost his business trying to make his kids world better by solving the environment who becomes good at science and just wanted to get a job so i wrote here hoping someone would hire me and well after a year of this i deserve to get paided or at least a percentage if not to me give it to my wife and kids-they never gave up at all thats how i know shes russian
listen test the dna it benefits you i would like to turn it into fairy tale land for you
i don't think theres anything wrong in churches and charites being for profit-why not make money doing good -people get paid for far worse -
the rest if it was true does it matter because there was no doomsday
by the way a centuble is mention as being associated with Daniel (the guy who owns the rainbow shop in downtown lake worth next to starbucks told me that one
and the lions den-we have a centuble just down the road less than a mile radius
i want there to be tons of gods because then why fight over it we could celebrate each and everyone to together
i believe it's the tree of life you don;t have to because i've learned faith is hope and hope is faith
aliens exist-the protective cover works like a woodlouse or armadillo rolling in to the ball by the joints you can separte like jimming a lock in a car
i'm the head of the Mormons Christians and Catholics and Christmas is staying even if it's just for santa clause
Santa was Germany-aryan race came from persia -how are they white ,blond and blue eyed (i like them not sure what the problem is
europe help me come on italy the popes my right hand man-make a miracle popey-i wish
announce a joint Holy si in lantana florida-i love indians they like to gamble
still waiting
the end
what ARE you smoking? Must be some really great stuff to produce all of this GIBBERISH
Does that have anything to do with kibbeh? I'm hungry now!
Yes, please pass what you're smoking.
"ok if nasa belonged to america then why is it not have america in the name?"
Why must it?
We know that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is a United States government agency. The Department of Defense. The National Institutes of Health. The Bureau of Mines. The Department of Homeland Security, etc. why should the National Aeronautics and Space Administration?
And if we wanted that, it would be 'United States,' not simply 'America.' as in the USGS, the United States Geoloical survey...
"i want there to be tons of gods because then why fight over it we could celebrate each and everyone to together"
Why would that make a difference? Quite apart from whether any deities exist at all, historically we've already seen monotheists fight monotheists, monotheists fight polytheists, polytheists fight polytheists...and so on.
Even within the same faith, there's been room for trouble. Sunni vs. Shia Muslims, Protestant vs. Catholic Christians, etc. People always find a way.
The rest of your post...I absolutely can't understand.
lets find all the king and queens -i mean can't the queen of syria step in-they are destroying history
listen real or not i have to be up there with king and james herbert-i never see his books in any of the stores
you can do searchs on ggogle under the user names and it pops up all the posts you've done-it's a tears worth
now onto s.amaerica -interested in the temple of magic -that looks like it needs to be preseved -i claim that in the name of cadle-oh all my kids were born in wellington regional hospital
new Zealand again - the home of the cdi and welsh-farthest west farthest east
america west book -some walked with wheelbarrows i guess we just arrived -we have some flags to stake
funny my landord turned up last week and obviously knew about my writings because he talked bout aa airlines that he works for i told them to hire james holtby-thats a trade -i want the deeds because how did he know and came to my door about my writting and the rent i think the deed should be in my wife and i's name plus the merger payoff -
so you see he came but no one else -i see a spanish bull
the important stuff first
black crow was here wearing a head dress like a crow which looks awfully like the roman eagle-
did someone pinch it-probably should be returned
ties into the esca story-think i saw my shadow to day at the beach -ties into an old friend from aberystwrtyh never can spell that-wales he's a celt-still looks celtic to just like the irish always ran n york
ps. the beach on the intercoastal side is beautiful at boynton inlet and should be preserved
telling you the Indians want me here -can i invest in a casino -we could build one for a new world based on the libary of Alexandria and the house of wisdom
these indians like to smoke don't they
park ranger smith has a message about behaving