A group of Native American protestors successfully halted the auction of an Indigenous skull, 600 years old, in North Carolina.
The issue was first raised by Crystal Cavalier-Keck who made several TikTok videos about the upcoming auction. Belonging to the Occaneechi band of the Saponi tribe, she started highlighting the auction of a 600-year-old Indgineous skull listed by the Mebane Antique Auction Gallery. In one of the videos, she expressed her inability to individually stop the auction, given that the bid was already at $1700 and the skull was estimated to sell between $100-$10,000. It must be noted that Cavalier-Keck had previously bid $220 to acquire the skull, but was soon out-bidden.
The auction website listed the skull (mentioned as Lot 443) as completely original and only missing some teeth. The skull was last purchased in Montreal in the 1960s. Many states in the US allow the sale of human remains, but indigenous remains are exempted from this due to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. However, since this skull was purchased before 1981, it is said to be legal to be sold.
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However, after Cavalier-Keck’s reels went viral, about 25 protestors from various tribes came together at the auction site on March 25. They demanded to stop the auction and for the skull to be handed over to them. Soon, Marion Werkheiser (American Indian Sappony tribe attorney) called the auction house and demanded a halt to the sale. John Lambert, the owner of the auction house, complied with the request. However, he also clarified that he was only doing it to satisfy the ‘crazies’.
