Naga delegation visits Pitt Rivers Museum to discuss repatriation of ancestral remains

• 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) 

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• 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.
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• The delegation comprises representatives from various Naga tribe hohos, members of FNR, and the Recover, Restore and Decolonise (RRaD) team.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• “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.
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• “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.
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• 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.”
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• It appealed to the Naga people for their support and solidarity, urging them to contribute to a dynamic and robust repatriation process.
  
  

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