Asia-Pacific

Chile apologizes to indigenous people in 1881

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-01-13 16:54

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.