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Naga Delegation Urges UK to Enshrine Protections for Ancestral Remains

Delegates seek legal safeguards to secure expedited return despite bureaucratic hurdles at the Pitt Rivers Museum.

Naga delegation urges UK museum to return ancestral remains from colonial era
Some of the Naga delegation members in the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. (PRM photo)

Overview

  • A 23-member Naga delegation led by tribal elders and community representatives visited Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum from June 8 to 10 to discuss repatriation of remains taken during British colonial rule.
  • The museum holds the world’s largest Naga collection, including 41 human remains, primarily skulls, and 178 objects that may contain human hair.
  • Delegates called on the UK government to introduce legislation specifically safeguarding Indigenous human remains and ensuring their prompt return to Nagaland communities.
  • Pitt Rivers Museum removed all human remains from public display in 2020 but has not provided a timeline for repatriation, citing complex museum and legal procedures.
  • The Forum for Naga Reconciliation’s Recover, Restore and Decolonise team has driven the five-year, community-based initiative, engaging schools, churches and civil society across Nagaland.