Steps to ensure the revision of the dark history of European colonialism can only be hailed as a great achievement of reconciliation and peaceful acceptance. 

This was the immediate reaction given to the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation’s remarks on the purchase of 15th century masks from Kogi people, an indigenous population hailing from the northern mountains of Colombia. 

The masks were reported to have been purchased by a German ethnologist during a time when the notion to simply - and legally - acquire artifacts was quite rare. Nevertheless, the former mentioned foundation - which oversees the Berlin museum - is with the opinion that the purchase should have never taken place.

If anything, the meeting between the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steiner, and his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, is hailed as an important step in decolonisation as they historically shake hands over the masks presented for the whole world to see. 

Yet, as far as that goes, there emerges another issue, particularly, one that deals with the nature of how these wooden masks were preserved for 500 years. 

Throughout their lifespan in Germany, the masks were sprayed with a hazardous pesticides to protect it from decaying. The earliest times this was mentioned as a health risk was by the foundation, and it was also mentioned again when the two presidents met again on friday discussing the handover.

The pesticide used, is reported to be an absolute health risk due to it giving multitude of problems. 

The severe impact, however, lies in where the masks will go to, or for what reasons will they be used.

As mentioned, the masks are a highly symbolic artifact belonging to the Kogi people in Colombia, an indigenous American ethnic group concentrated in the mountains of northern Colombia just next to its shoreline. 

A member of the community has mentioned that the community would like to use it again for ceremonial rituals, a move that might endanger the lives of the community.

The spreading of hazardous substance on a symbolic mask used for rituals is only indicating to one thing, the mask was never meant to be returned back to its original place, but kept for observation, as a historic past, covered with chemicals.

By: B.E