The University of Oxford has formally returned the remains of 39 Naga ancestors that had been kept at its Pitt Rivers Museum for more than a century. The repatriation was carried out at an official ceremony held at the museum.
The remains were handed over to representatives of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) and the Naga Hoho. In a statement, FNR representatives said the remains are being taken back to Nagaland with dignity. Oxford Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey described the process as a historic moment that marks the beginning of a new relationship between the Naga people and the university.
The handover also brought back memories of the colonial period. FNR representative Wezier Sanyu recalled, with emotion, how colonial soldiers burned his village during British rule. Many in the community view the return of ancestral remains, removed from their homeland under colonial rule, as a significant cultural achievement for the Naga people.
Preparations are under way in Nagaland to receive the remains. They will be buried permanently, in keeping with customary rites, at the Naga Solidarity Park in Kohima, the state capital. Local tribal organisations have welcomed the development, saying it is time for their ancestors’ souls to rest in peace.