THE Solomon Island Artist Associations (SIAA) Presidentis calling on government through the Museum Division in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to start collecting originallocal artifacts and preserve them at the National Museum.
Barney Rooney made the call during the two days draft Solomon Islands Intellectual Property Strategy workshop held this week in Honiara.
The workshop which was held at the Mendana Hotel started on Wednesday and ended on Thursday.
Government officials from the Ministries of Justice and Legal Affairs, Culture and Tourism and Foreign Affairs and External Trade are meeting with other stakeholders to validate a the e draft Solomon Islands Intellectual Property Strategy.
The workshop was to give stakeholders previously involved in consultations and other interest groups an overview of the draft strategy.
Mr Rooney who attended the workshop strongly urged the museum division to gather all original artifacts and preserve them since local people are selling them to foreign buyers for income.
“I made this call because I saw foreigners buying our original artifacts from local people and took them away,” Mr Rooney said.
He said original artifacts in Solomon Islands are now scarce.
He said, just recently foreign buyers came and bought artifacts including some old original artifacts in Honiara.
“These original artifacts should not be taken away from this country but should be preserved at the national museum because they are our properties and history.
“These artifacts are our trademark and we should not sell them. Therefore I’m calling on the government to act and enforce strict laws,” Mr Rooney said.
By DENVER NEWTER
