England: Oxford University has returned the remains of 39 individuals from the Naga community—which it had held in its ‘Pitt Rivers Museum’ for over a century—to India, as part of a historic repatriation initiative.
During a ceremony held at the museum on Monday, the remains were officially handed over to the ‘Forum for Naga Reconciliation’ (FNR) and the ‘Naga Tribe Hoho’.
Professor Laura Van Broekhoven, Director of the Pitt Rivers Museum, and Reverend Dr. Wati Aier, a representative of the FNR, signed the documents pertaining to this handover.
According to a statement released by the FNR on Tuesday, following the handover, the ancestral remains were moved in preparation for their transport from Oxford University to Nagaland.
The Pitt Rivers Museum, established in 1884, houses cultural artifacts collected from various parts of the world; these remains were also part of its collection. Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Irene Tracy, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, described this handover as a historic moment in the relationship between the university and the Naga people.
The statement noted her remark that this initiative reflects a community-led effort toward reconciliation, healing, and peace.
Sanyu spoke about the impact of British colonial violence on Naga communities and recounted how colonial forces had burned down his own village.