Indian tribes visit UK museum to bring home ancestors' remains, World News
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 (at the museum) 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.
[[nid:717024]]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
UAE evacuates 24 from oil tanker after collision near Strait of Hormuz
UAE evacuates 24 from oil tanker after collision near Strait of Hormuz – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Coast Guard said on June 17 that it had evacuated 24 people from oil tanker Adalynn following a collision between two ships in the Gulf of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz. British maritime security firm Ambrey earlier reported an incident 22 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan in the UAE and said the cause of the incident was not security-related. Shipping sources told Reuters that a vessel had collided with two other ships. The maritime incident unfolded as Iran and Israel exchanged attacks for a fifth day following Israel's launch of wide-scale strikes on June 13 , which Israel said were aimed at preventing Tehran from building an atomic weapon. Naval sources have told Reuters that electronic interference with commercial ship navigation systems has surged in recent days around the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf, which is having an impact on vessels sailing through the region. The Strait of Hormuz lies between Oman and Iran and links the Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond. About a fifth of the world's total oil consumption passes through the strait. Between the start of 2022 and May, roughly 17.8 million to 20.8 million barrels of crude, condensate and fuels flowed through the strait daily, according to data from Vortexa. The UAE National Guard said in a post on social media platform X that 24 crew members were taken to Khor Fakkan Port in the UAE using search and rescue boats. There was no immediate response to a Reuters request for comment from the Emirati Foreign Ministry or Khor Fakkan container terminal early on June 17 . REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
6 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Indian tribes visit UK museum to bring home ancestors' remains, World News
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 (at the museum) 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. [[nid:717024]]
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Indian tribes visit UK museum to bring home ancestors' remains
Dolly Kikon, professor at University of California, Naga anthropologist from Lotha-Naga tribe of Nagaland, poses for a photo at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, Britain June 13, 2025. REUTERS/Marissa Davison Carved wooden figures are shown as part of a Naga artefacts display at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, Britain, June 13, 2025. REUTERS/Marissa Davison 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 (at the museum) 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. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
