The Pitt Rivers Museum at the University of Oxford has taken a significant step towards rectifying a historical injustice by agreeing to return the ancestral remains of 39 Nagas to their homeland in Nagaland. This decision marks the culmination of years of efforts by the Naga community and their allies to reclaim their ancestors’ remains, which were taken during the colonial era.
The museum’s director, Professor Laura Van Broekhoven conveyed the decision in a letter to Rev. Wati Aier convener of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR). The letter expressed hope that the work of repatriating the remains could now commence in collaboration with the FNR, Naga tribal hohos, and the Recover, Restore and Decolonise (RRaD) team.
The Journey Towards Repatriation
The process of repatriation began in earnest in 2020 when Broekhoven contacted the FNR to facilitate the return of the remains. The FNR then established the RRaD initiative, led by Naga academics Dolly Kikon and Arkotong Longkumer along with a network of research volunteers. This effort gained further momentum in June 2025 when a delegation of Naga tribal hoho leaders, elders, and members of the FNR and RRaD visited the Pitt Rivers Museum to witness the ancestral remains firsthand.
The visit led to the issuance of the Naga Oxford Declaration on Repatriation on June 13, 2025. This declaration underscored the importance of repatriation not just as a return of physical remains but as a restoration of memory and dignity to the Naga people. The declaration also highlighted the need for a dignified burial of the remains upon their return to Nagaland.
The Significance of Repatriation
The repatriation of the 39 ancestral remains is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. This process is not just about the physical return of the remains but also about acknowledging the historical injustices committed during the colonial era. The remains were allegedly taken away by colonial administrators decades ago, and their return is seen as a step towards healing and wholeness for the Naga community.
The Pitt Rivers Museum holds over 6,000 Naga artefacts, and while the museum is open to welcoming Naga researchers to study these collections, the current focus of the RRaD team is on the repatriation of the ancestral remains. The museum has removed all human remains from display since 2020, acknowledging the sensitive nature of these items.
The Broader Context of Repatriation
The repatriation of the Naga ancestral remains is part of a broader movement to return cultural artefacts and human remains to their communities of origin. The Pitt Rivers Museum first received Naga ancestral remains more than 100 years ago from John Henry Hutton an anthropologist and colonial administrator. Hutton and another administrator, James Philip Mills brought most of the Naga remains in the museum’s collection between roughly 1910 and 1940.
The museum acknowledges that the ‘collecting’ of these remains was not a neutral, scholarly activity but often involved confiscation during punitive military expeditions. The Naga collection includes thousands of objects, with 219 items listed as Naga human remains. The current return concerns 39 ancestral human remains, primarily skulls, and 178 objects that contain or may contain human hair.
The decision to return the remains has been welcomed by the FNR and other Naga groups. They emphasize that repatriation is not simply about the physical return of the remains but about the restoration of memory and dignity to the Naga people. The museum is working closely with the Naga community to plan a handover ceremony, after which a Naga delegation will accompany the remains home.
