Key facts
- The Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford will return 39 human remains of Naga ancestors to Nagaland.
- The remains were acquired by colonial administrators James Philip Mills and John Henry Hutton.
- The human remains had been displayed for 80 years and were put into storage in 2020.
- Naga community leaders described the repatriation as a return of memory and a step towards decolonization.
- A handover ceremony will take place in November, with remains expected in Nagaland by year-end.
- The repatriation effort was a community-led initiative involving volunteers, tribal leaders, and the church.
The Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford has agreed to return 39 human remains belonging to the Naga tribes of India and Myanmar, marking a significant repatriation effort after nearly a century of the remains being on display. The announcement follows six years of negotiations between the Naga community and the museum.
For the Naga people, the return of these ancestral remains is deeply symbolic, representing not just the recovery of physical objects but also the return of memory and a step towards decolonizing their history. Leaders expressed a mix of emotions, including joy, relief, and a sense of peace, viewing the homecoming as a moment for both mourning and celebration.
The collection, which includes parts of skulls, a finger, and skin with hair, was largely acquired by colonial administrators James Philip Mills and John Henry Hutton. The remains had been displayed for 80 years, with the museum acknowledging in 2020 that exhibiting human remains could reinforce racist and stereotypical thinking. The museum stated that the 39 ancestors would soon begin their journey home.
The repatriation initiative was a community-led effort, spearheaded by Naga anthropologists and a peace group called the Forum for Naga Reconciliation, which assembled a team known as Recover, Restore and Decolonise. This intergenerational journey involved students, civil society, tribal leaders, and the church, ensuring transparency and broad community involvement.
A Naga delegation visited Oxford in 2025 to formally register their claim. A handover ceremony is planned for November, with the remains expected to arrive in Nagaland before the end of the year. They will be interred in a traditional ceremony in the state capital, Kohima. Museum director Laura Van Broekhoven noted that handover ceremonies are often emotional.