Hello, my name is Ms. Krijnauw and welcome to this lesson.

Where we are going to delve into a fascinating question that's captured the attention of people around the world.

The lesson, which is part of the Non-European Societies Unit, is entitled, Why arguments have broken out about the Benin Bronzes.

As we explore the arguments about the Benin Bronzes, we'll discover that history isn't always black and white.

Sometimes it's more like a puzzle with missing pieces, and it's up to us to put them together by asking questions and listening to different opinions to find the best fit.

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain why the Benin Bronzes have caused arguments in the present day, and it's my job to support you with the learning resources and materials.

Before we start with a lesson, I would like to introduce you to some important keywords.

These are words that will come up during the lesson and they will help you to make sense of your learning.

The words are, descendants and ancestors.

I'm gonna say them again, but this time I would like you to read them with me.

Let's go.

Descendants, ancestors.

Let's find out what these words mean.

Descendants, descendants are people who come after someone else in a family.

Ancestors, ancestors are the people who came before you in your family.

They are a family's older generations.

This lesson about why arguments have broken out about the Benin Bronzes has two learning cycles.

The first one is entitled, arguments for the return of the Benin Bronzes.

The Benin Bronzes were crafted by the Edo people in the Kingdom of Benin, which is now part of Nigeria.

Many of Bronzes have been housed in the British Museum for more than a century.

Nigeria has requested that the Benin Bronzes be repatriated.

In other words, be given back to Nigeria.

They believe that these sculptures are like precious memories of the past, and they wanna keep them close to home.

Let's check our understanding of what we have just learned.

Circle the correct answer from column A or B for each question.

The questions are, who made the Benin Bronzes? Was it the Edo people or the British? Where were the Benin Bronzes made? Was it in the British Museum or the Kingdom of Benin? In which country is the Kingdom of Benin located? Is it Nigeria or is it Britain? Pause the video here, and when you have circled the correct answer for each question, press play to check your answers.

Let's check the answer.

Who made the Benin Bronzes? Well, that would be the Edo people.

Where were the Ben and Bronzes made? They were made in the Kingdom of Benin, of course.

And in which country is the Kingdom of Benin located? That is Nigeria.

Well done if you've got all of those correct.

The question of whether the British Museum should give back its Benin Bronzes to their place of origin has sparked debates and discussions worldwide and has led to lots of arguments.

These intricately crafted bronze sculptures and plaques were looted by British forces from the Kingdom of Benin.

During a siege in 1897, the siege was a conflict known as the Benin Expedition.

The Benin Bronzes are important to the people of Nigeria as they are treasures that tell the story of the Kingdom of Benin's history, culture, and traditions.

Many Nigerians argue that the Benin Bronzes should be returned to Nigeria.

They say that the Bronzes were originally taken from Benin city unfairly and without permission curing a time of fighting and stealing, the President of Nigeria declared that all objects from the Benin Expedition should belong to the royal family in Benin city.

Returning them can help make up for past wrongs, bring people together, and show respect for the Kingdom of Benin's culture.

They also think that putting the Benin Bronzes back with a belong can help everyone learn more about Benin's history and how special it is.

Let's consolidate what we have just learned.

Which reasons has Nigeria given for wanting the Benin Bronzes returned? Choose two.

Is it A, the Bronzes were stolen from the Kingdom of Benin, which is located in Nigeria? Is it B, the Bronzes are worth a lot of money? Or C, the Bronzes tell the story of Benin's past culture and traditions.

Pause the video here, and when you are ready for the answers, press play.

The answers are A, the Bronzes were stolen from the Kingdom of Benin, which is located in Nigeria.

And C, the Bronzes tell the story of Benin's past culture and traditions.

Well done if you got those two correct.

Some museums around the world have already returned the Benin Bronzes stolen from their Edo people in Nigeria, but the British museum faces a different situation.

British law makes it tricky for the British Museum to give back the Benin Bronzes.

The British Museum Act of 1963 says that the museum can't take anything outta its collection unless it's a copy, it is broken or it's not good enough to keep in the collection anymore.

So even if the museum wants to return the Benin Bronzes, the law makes it difficult for them to do so.

This is why the debate about what to do with the Benin Bronzes continues with people discussing and trying to find fair solutions.

Say whether the following statement is true or false.

The British Museum has agreed to return the Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, is that true or false? Did you say that that is false? If you did, well done.

Let's justify why we say that that is false.

Is it A, that there is a law that forbids the British Museum from removing artefacts from its collections, or B, the artefacts are too valuable to give away? Pause the video here and when you are ready for the answer, press play.

Well, the British Museum has not agreed to return the Benin Bronzes to Nigeria because there is a law that forbids the British Museum from removing artefacts from its collections.

Well done if you got that correct.

We have come to the first learning task of this lesson.

It says, explain to your learning partner what the connection is between the following, Nigeria, Benin Bronzes, British Museum and the British Museum Act.

Pause the video here, and when you are ready to reflect on the answer, press play.

Let's look at the answer.

Your answer could have included the following, Nigeria has requested that the Benin Bronzes be returned.

The British museum has not returned the artefacts because the British Museum Act says, that the museum can't take something out of its collection unless it's a copy, it is broken or it is not good enough to keep in the collection anymore.

Well done if your answer was similar to this and an extra well done if you manage to use all the words highlighted in purple.

The second learning cycle of this lesson is entitled, Arguments against the return of the Benin Bronzes.

On the flip side of this argument.

In the USA, the descendants of people who were enslaved and brought from West Africa are trying to stop the return of the Edo artworks to Nigeria.

Before we continue with our learning, let's check for understanding.

The descendants of enslaved people are against returning the Benin Bronzes.

Who are the descendants? Is it A, artists? B, the generations of families who came after the enslaved people or C, curators? Curators are people who look after artefacts in a museum.

Pause the video here, and when you're ready for the answer, press play.

Did you say that descendants are the generations of families who came after the enslaved people? Well if you did, you are correct.

Well done.

The descendants of the people who were enslaved argue that in the past, some African people were involved in selling other African people into slavery.

The Benin Bronzes were made using metals that came from European traders.

These traders used bracelets or manillas made of copper, bronze, and brass to pay for goods bought in the Kingdom of Benin.

These manillas were also used to pay for the enslaved people from the Kingdom of Benin.

So for these descendants, the artefacts were made from metals that were used to buy their enslaved ancestors.

They believe that the Bronzes should stay where they're rather than be sent back to Nigeria.

There was quite a lot of new information there, so let's check for understanding.

Use these words and phrases to explain to your learning partner why the American descendants of enslaved people are against the Benin Bronzes being returned.

The words are Benin Bronzes, manilla, enslave.

Pause the video and when you to reflect on the answer press play.

An answer that you could have given is the following.

The American descendants of enslaved people argued that the Benin Bronzes were made from the manilla that the European traders used to enslave their ancestors.

Well done if your answer is similar to this.

The descendants of those who are once enslaved suggest that instead of sending the Benin Bronzes back to Nigeria, they should also have a part in owning the Bronzes along with the museums in the West.

In this way, people everywhere can enjoy the rich history of their ancestors' struggles and stories represented in the artworks.

The debate about whether the Benin Bronzes should be returned to Nigeria is part of a bigger conversation in museums about whether it's right to keep cultural treasures that were taken unfairly, especially during times of colonialism or looting.

It's a tricky problem to solve, but it shows why it's important for museums to talk with the communities where the artefacts came from.

Museums need to think carefully about their rules for collecting and displaying artefacts.

Most importantly, any decision about sending the Benin Bronzes back to Nigeria should listen to what the people of Benin want, and also think about what is fair and respectful to everyone involved in protecting and sharing cultural history.

We are now ready for the second learning task of this lesson.

It says, read the statements below.

Explain why both Laura and Izzy may be correct.

Laura says, "The Benin Bronzes belong to the Edo people \and should be returned to Nigeria." Izzy, on the other hand, says, "The Benin Bronzes should not be returned because they should belong to the descendants of the African people who were enslaved." Pause the video here, and when you are ready to reflect on the answer, press play.

Let's reflect on what your answers could have included.

So Laura could be correct because the Benin Bronzes were crafted by the Edo people in the Kingdom of Benin, but were looted by British forces in 1897.

The Benin Bronzes are a part of Nigerian history, culture, and traditions, and should therefore be returned to their place of origin.

On the other hand, Izzy may well be correct because the Benin Bronzes were made from the manilla used to buy enslaved people from the Kingdom of Benin.

American descendants of these enslaved people believe that the Benin Bronzes should remain in museums around the world and that they should have a part in owning them.

In this way, people everywhere can learn about their ancestors' history and traditions represented in the artwork.

Well done if your answer was similar to this.

We have now come to the end of this lesson about why arguments have broken out about the Benin Bronzes.

But before we go, let's summarise what we have learned.

Many Benin Bronzes are housed in the British Museum.

The question of whether they should be returned to Nigeria has led to lots of arguments.

Nigeria says that the Bronzes were originally stolen from Benin city and are important historical and cultural artefacts.

Some museums have returned the Bronzes, but British law does not allow artefacts to leave the British museum.

American descendants of enslaved people say that the Bronzes were made from the manilla used to enslave their ancestors and should therefore not be returned.

Thank you very much for joining me on this learning adventure.

And well done for all your hard work.

I hope to see you again very soon.