A landmark agreement has been reached after six years of negotiations, with a British museum set to return human remains—including skull fragments, a finger, and preserved skin with hair—belonging to Naga tribes from north-eastern India. The repatriation marks the culmination of efforts by anthropologists and local leaders to reclaim ancestral remains that had been displayed for nearly a century. The Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford has confirmed the return of 39 pieces to Nagaland, a remote state bordering Myanmar, following sustained advocacy from the community. The decision has been met with widespread relief and celebration among those who have long sought the repatriation of these sacred remains.
Following six years of talks, Pitt Rivers Museum will return body parts collected by British colonial administrators to north-east IndiaAnthropologists and community leaders from Nagaland, a remote state in north-eastern India bordering Myanmar, have expressed joy and relief that human remains belonging to their ancestors that had been on display in a British museum for nearly a century are finally being returned.On Monday, the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford announced that 39 pieces of human remains – including parts of skulls, a finger and a piece of skin with hair – belonging to the Naga tribes, will be returned to Nagaland after six years of negotiation between the community and the museum. Continue reading...
