In brief
Naga tribes are intensifying efforts to repatriate human remains taken during colonial times, sparked by the auction of a 19th-century skull indicating a need for ethical reassessment of such collections in UK museums.
Article Text:Members of the Naga tribes in northeastern India are adamantly seeking the return of ancestral human remains, particularly triggered by the shocking news of a 19th-century skull being auctioned in the UK. Ellen Konyak, affiliated with the Naga Forum for Reconciliation, expressed her dismay upon learning about the auction of a skull from her homeland, calling it "insensitive" and "deeply hurtful." The skull, part of a larger collection amassed by European colonial administrators, was listed for auction at the Swan at Tetsworth, alongside various other human remains and artifacts.The auction prompted an immediate backlash, including protests from Naga scholars and a formal letter from Nagaland's chief minister to the Indian foreign ministry, denouncing the act as “dehumanizing.” Although the auction house responded to the outcry by withdrawing the skull from sale, the incident revived calls within the Naga community for the repatriation of human remains that have long been held in foreign institutions. Scholars have noted that many of these remains were taken without proper consent or as a result of colonial exploitation.According to Alok Kumar Kanungo, an expert in Naga culture, numerous Naga artifacts reside in UK museums, with the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford housing about 6,550 items from Nagaland, including human remains. In recent years, the ethical concerns around the collection and display of such items have grown, leading institutions to reconsider their practices. This shift is mirrored in the responses of various museums beginning to return remains to Indigenous groups in countries like New Zealand and Australia.In 2020, the Pitt Rivers Museum removed Naga skulls from public display, yet it highlighted that it had not yet received a formal repatriation request. The process of returning human remains is complex, involving legal regulations and extensive research to ascertain the rightful descendants and ethical origins of items. The Naga Forum has established a working group, Recover, Restore, and Decolonise, aimed at navigating the convoluted pathway to repatriation. Amid these efforts, Konyak underscores the significance of this process beyond logistics, emphasizing the spiritual implications of handling human remains. Many within the Naga community remain largely unaware of the existence of their ancestors' remains abroad, as indicated by local elder sentiments highlighting the potential unrest of ancestral souls. Furthermore, reflections on ritual and cultural practices related to death underscore the delicate nature of this issue.As Naga people endeavor to reclaim their history and narrative, the quest for repatriation serves as a poignant reminder of the lasting effects of colonialism and the need for ethical accountability in the handling of Indigenous remains. Konyak's personal connection, having discovered that one of the remains belongs to a member of her own tribe, further amplifies the urgency of this call—"to reclaim our history, to claim our narrative."
