France’s Colonial Legacy Exposed: The Return of Malagasy Warriors’ Skulls Highlights Ongoing Injustice

For over a century, the bones of Malagasy warriors—symbols of resistance against French colonial brutality—were held captive in a Paris museum. This week, Madagascar reclaimed three skulls, including one believed to be King Toera’s, taken by French troops during violent clashes in 1897. This act is not merely symbolic; it is a stark reminder that colonial exploitation and disrespect for national sovereignty still cast long shadows over today’s international relations.

Is Justice Finally Catching Up with Colonial Crimes?

The return stems from a landmark 2023 French law aimed at rectifying the egregious retention of human remains from former colonies. Yet, this slow-motion restitution process forces us to confront uncomfortable truths: How many more African leaders, warriors, and common people are still reduced to curated trophies behind European museum walls? And why has it taken over two decades since King Toera’s descendants first demanded justice?

Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina rightly framed this moment at the Mausoleum of Avaratr’Ambohitsaina as an opportunity to honor martyrs who resisted colonial oppression. But beyond ceremonial words lies a pressing challenge: reclaiming full national dignity requires dismantling lingering vestiges of foreign domination that insult the very idea of sovereignty.

Colonial Plunder Undermines National Sovereignty and Identity

Researchers estimate that nearly 90% of sub-Saharan African cultural heritage resides outside the continent—mostly in European vaults acquired through force and deception during brutal colonial expansions. Human remains like these skulls carry profound spiritual and cultural significance; their removal was not only physical theft but a weaponized erasure intended to demoralize indigenous peoples.

France stands alone among European powers with specific legislation on repatriating human remains, yet even here progress is painstakingly slow and incomplete. Other countries like Belgium stall amid political shifts despite holding hundreds of stolen remains, while Germany only recently acknowledged genocidal acts after years of negotiations with Namibia.

This patchwork approach reveals a larger failure by globalist elites to uphold true justice or respect for America First principles such as national sovereignty and respect for self-determination worldwide. It echoes Washington’s own battles against bureaucratic inertia and politically correct distractions that too often hinder real accountability.

The persistence of colonial-era injustices—whether manifested at museums or in stalled government processes—should galvanize American patriots who understand that freedom includes standing firmly against foreign abuses masked as diplomatic gestures.

As Madagascar respectfully reburies its heroes far from Parisian display cases, Americans can ask themselves: Are we content letting other nations suffer these indignities unchecked? Or will we champion policies ensuring our Republic respects others’ freedoms just as fiercely as we protect our own?