Advertisement Acoma Pueblo sacred shield stolen; Pueblo fights to get it back Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A New Mexico Pueblo is in the middle of an international battle centering around a sacred shield the Acoma people said was stolen years ago, but it then showed up for auction in Paris.The pueblo has the support of the federal government and New Mexico's Congressional Delegation, but there's no way to know if it will ever get the shield back.It's now an issue sparking protests in a different country. Acoma Pueblo Gov., Kurt Riley, said it’s frustrating. It’s also creating heartache in New Mexico."It's traditional law. It should never leave the reservation,” Riley said.The Acoma people said the sacred shield is theirs. KOAT blurred out the image on the shield out of respect, because the image on the shield is sacred."I can't really go into detail about what it describes, what's on there, what it depicts,” Riley said. "All I can say is this object is there and periodically it's used in ceremony.”Their religious privacy vanished when the shield went up for auction earlier this year at "Eve Auction House" in Paris, France.Riley thinks it was stolen from the Pueblo in the 70's, and now that the shield's surfaced, he's in the middle of a battle he never anticipated."Originally, Acoma didn't want to be the lead tribe to do this,” Riley said.But they are, and the French government seems to be listening, because the shield was pulled from the auction.Riley said it's because they have the federal government's support and the backing of New Mexico’s congressional delegation."I don't think they should be doing that, they should be returning this object to the Acoma Pueblo,” Senator Tom Udall said.Udall is vocal about his distaste over what's happening."We've passed laws to protect them, and what people are doing is going around those laws in order to try and make money for themselves,” Udall said.Sen. Martin Heinrich plans to introduce a bill to increase penalties against those who export Native American religious and culturally sensitive items.Despite the outcry and a federal investigation, there's no guarantee it will be returned.The pueblo has no documentation of the artifact or its alleged theft; instead, they're relying on the memory of elders."When we pass that image through, they can readily recognize, yes, this is ours,” Riley said.Riley said the shield belongs on the Acoma Pueblo and they want it back."It would be a very joyous occasion for the pueblo as a whole,” Riley said.He doesn't know if that will ever happen, but he has hope."It holds a special place. It's very hard to convey how important that is to the community to someone who is not in the community,” Riley said.But their battle will continue, especially since the case could have bigger implications for the future sale of any sacred Native American Artifact.