- DIMAPUR — A Naga delegation is at the Pitt
Rivers Museum (PRM) at the University of Oxford today for a week-long visit
focused on the repatriation of Naga ancestral human remains currently held by
the museum.
Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. (Source: Wikipedia)
- A press release issued by the Forum for Naga Reconciliation
(FNR) on Sunday stated that the historic visit, scheduled from June 8 to June
14, marks a significant step towards addressing the legacy of colonialism and
fostering healing among the Naga people.
- The delegation comprises representatives from various Naga
tribe hohos, members of FNR, and the Recover, Restore and Decolonise (RRaD)
team.
- Their visit aims to strengthen the ongoing process of
identifying, claiming, and eventually recovering approximately 219 Naga
ancestral remains currently under the care of the PRM, which holds the largest
collection of Naga artifacts worldwide.
- Since November 2020, the FNR has facilitated discussions
within Naga communities to garner consent, participation, and active support
for the repatriation effort, particularly from the tribe hohos.
- To support this process, the FNR established the RRaD team,
which conducts “participatory action research with Naga communities.” The RRaD
team also focuses on raising public awareness and building connections with
other Indigenous nations regarding the recovery of ancestral remains from
around the globe.
- This visit marks a pivotal moment in Naga history, being the
first time the PRM has hosted a Naga delegation with direct access to their
ancestral human remains.
- “The delegation looks forward to collaborating with museum
staff through dialogue, co-learning, and discussing how the museum cares for
ancestors, as well as closely examining the return process and the way forward.
- “Throughout the visit, the Naga delegation is committed to
ensuring that the process is a Naga-led dialogue to explore a pathway for the
return and future care of Naga ancestral human remains,” it stated.
- The FNR underscored the importance of Naga people rewriting
and retelling their own stories “by focusing on social justice and
decolonisation and begin healing from the burdens of a violent colonial past.”
- It appealed to the Naga people for their support and
solidarity, urging them to contribute to a dynamic and robust repatriation
process.
Also read:
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GNF backs return of Naga ancestral remains from England
Voices unite against ‘dehumanising’ auction of ancestral Naga skull
