Indian tribes visit UK museum to bring home ancestors' remains
*
Naga tribes claim back ancestral remains from UK museum
*
Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford holds largest collection
*
Demands for repatriation of remains and artefacts grow worldwide
OXFORD, England, - Tribes from the Indian state of Nagaland have held talks at a museum in Britain to secure the return of ancestral remains taken during the colonial era and put on display for decades.
Skulls and other body parts were often brought from Asia, Africa and elsewhere to Britain and to other former colonial powers, as "trophies", to be traded, displayed or studied.
There are growing calls worldwide for such remains, as well as stolen art, to be returned to their communities as part of a centuries-old movement demanding reparations for colonialism and slavery.
Just last month, skulls of 19 African Americans were returned to New Orleans from Germany to where they were sent for examination by phrenology - the now discredited belief that the shape and size of a head shows mental ability and character, especially when applied to different ethnic groups.
Historians say some of the remains were taken by colonial officers from burial sites and battlefields in Nagaland, where for centuries headhunting was common practice. Others were looted in acts of violence.
The Pitt Rivers Museum, which displays collections from Oxford University, holds the world's largest Naga collection, including thousands of artefacts, 41 human remains, primarily skulls, and 178 objects that contain or may contain human hair.
It removed all remains from public display in 2020, including ancestors of Dolly Kikon, an anthropologist from Nagaland's Lotha-Naga tribe, who teaches at the University of California and who travelled to Oxford last week.
"For the first time, there is a Naga delegation to connect and to reclaim our history, our culture and our belongings," Kikon, 49, told Reuters.
Museum director Laura Van Broekhoven said the timing of the return of the remains was still uncertain due to the bureaucracy involved. The museum is also in talks with other groups to facilitate more items being returned.
The 23 Naga representatives, including elders of several tribes, repeated calls by British lawmakers and campaigners for the government to legislate to protect ancestral remains.
Some European countries, such as the Netherlands, have national policies for the repatriation of human remains.
Opponents of reparations argue that contemporary states and institutions should not be held responsible for their past. Advocates say action is needed to address the legacies, such as systemic and structural racism.
"One way to confront the colonial legacy is for indigenous people to be able to tell our own stories," Kikon said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
26 minutes ago
- India Today
Ground report: Inside Iranian missile-hit Israeli Soroka Hospital
5:16 The report focuses on Indian workers in Baityam, Israel, amid ongoing missile attacks in the Iran-Israel conflict. It describes the destruction of a multi-story building where five people lost their lives. Indian construction workers, residing in Israel for over a year, share their experiences of living under constant threat, with some considering returning to India. They mention frequent visits to shelters and express concerns about their safety and future.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Gujarat: Chimpanzee exhibit to open at SoU jungle safari to mark World Rainforest Day
The Statue of Unity Jungle Safari and Zoological Park in Ekta Nagar (formerly Kevadia) in Narmada district is all set to open the chimpanzee exhibit to the public on Sunday — to mark the World Rainforest Day on June 22, said officials familiar with the matter. The exhibit will house a male and two female chimpanzees, who had been in quarantine, following their arrival in India from Capital Zoo Wildlife Park in Abu Dhabi (UAE) in February this year. Officials said that a special enclosure for chimpanzees has been created in the Ekta Nagar to replicate their natural tropical habitat of the African forests. According to officials, the three chimpanzees had been quarantined and kept away from immediate public display to help them acclimate to the Indian climate but surroundings were created to allow them to 'experience a sense of their own habitat'. Officials added that the three chimpanzees had 'adapted very well and were at ease' in their new home, based on which the Statue of Unity authorities decided to bring them out for the public display area in the special enclosure created for chimpanzees.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Hirebenakal eyes Unesco heritage tag through site upgrade
Koppal: Development initiatives are being planned at Hirebenakal, a 3,000-year-old megalithic site in Gangavathi taluk, with the goal of securing Unesco World Heritage status. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Situated 40km from the district headquarters, it requires a 10km uphill trek to reach the archaeological site. The site, under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Hampi Circle's protection, sits atop a castellated granite hillock, accessible from 3km southeast of the village. British officer Philip Meadows Taylor first discovered these monuments in 1835 while serving at the court of Nizam of Hyderabad. He presented the site internationally through a research publication in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. Locals describe the site, spanning over 20 hectares, as 'Morera houses'. The site's information board indicates these stone structures were built as memorials for the deceased. Some suggest Stone Age dwarfs inhabited these house-like formations. A large pond exists near the structures, indicating Neolithic Age inhabitants, primarily farmers, occupied this area. These rock tombs and cave art are currently on Unesco's World Heritage tentative list. The site houses the second-largest collection of monuments after Madhya Pradesh's cave paintings. Termed 'Rock monuments of early man', numerous well-preserved tombs exist here. Experts estimate approximately 500 tombs at this megalithic site. The site displays rock paintings depicting dancing, hunting, and weapon-wielding figures. Additional artwork includes geometric patterns and mystical designs of deer, peacocks, humped bulls, bullocks, horses, and cows. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "If properly excavated, more important things can come to light at this site," says Dr Sharanabasappa Kolkar, a historian from Gangavathi. A hemispherical kettledrum stone, strategically positioned on a hillock, measures 2.2m in diameter with 1.5m radial height. It sits on a 10m high monolithic boulder with a beating surface. When struck with stone or wooden implements, it produces musical sounds audible beyond 1km. Dr Sharanabasappa Kolkar mentions that during Rajnish Goyal's visit, the Kalaburgi regional commissioner, in 2010, they proposed including the site in the Unesco World Heritage list. The archaeological department forwarded the application, but Unesco rejected it. "Due to persistent efforts, two years ago, Unesco added the Hirebenkal megalithic site to its provisional list, and we must accelerate efforts to secure its place on the permanent list," he emphasised. Tourism minister HK Patil, during his recent visit, announced plans to develop the site to international standards. He assured that govt would undertake all necessary steps to achieve World Heritage List recognition. Additionally, Patil announced that to educate Bengaluru residents about the site's importance, they would organise a photographic exhibition of the rock tombs at the Venkatappa Art Gallery by Aug 15. Plans are under way to conduct further research within a 5km radius of the hill.
