Chile Apologizes For
Treatment Of Indigenous People in 1881
SANTIAGO - The Chilean government apologized
on Tuesday for the treatment of five
indigenous people, who were kidnapped in
1881 to be exhibited at human zoos in
Europe.
The remains of the five Indians were
repatriated from Europe on Tuesday.
At a ceremony to receive the remains,
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said the
Chilean government wanted to make an apology
for the complicity of the authorities at
that time, or at least for their neglect of
such abuses.
"When celebrating the Bicentenary of the
Independence it is inevitable to face the
lights and shadows of our history -- the
glories as well as the injustice," Bachelet
said.
Exhibition of these people at the so-called
human zoos "was not only a racist attitude
toward our people, but an outrage against
the human dignity, an outrage that we never
want to be repeated again in our history,"
she added.
Chilean Planning Minister Paula Quintana
said a traditional funeral would be held
Wednesday in Punta Arenas island, their
hometown.
The remains returned on Tuesday are part of
a total of 11 Kawesqar Indians captured in
1881. These people were put on display in
Paris, Berlin and Zurich as human
curiosities.
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