A Naga delegation comprising members of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation’s (FNR) Recover, Restore, and Decolonize (RRAD) team and tribal leaders returned on Sunday after a significant visit to the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford University, to discuss the repatriation of Naga ancestral human remains. Welcoming the team at Dimapur Airport, RRAD coordinator Rev. Dr. Ellen Konyak Jamir called the visit a “historic moment” for the Naga people and thanked the community, the tribal Hohos, and the Art and Culture Department for their support.
She appreciated the museum’s willingness to confront its colonial past, noting that human remains were removed from display and policy reforms are underway. “They treated our ancestors as specimens, which hurt us deeply. But now we are walking the path of healing together,” she said. The delegation also visited other UK institutions including the British Museum, Cambridge University, Manchester University, and Horniman Museum, where updates on ancestral remains and artefacts were shared.
At a public event on June 13, the “Naga Oxford Declaration on Repatriation” was signed, affirming a shared commitment to return ancestral remains and pursue intergenerational healing.
