The Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford has formally decided to return 39 sets of human remains belonging to the Naga people of northeastern India and Myanmar to their ancestral homeland. The remains, which include skulls and bones, have been housed at the museum for over a century, having been acquired during the period of British colonial rule.
The University of Oxford Council made the final decision for repatriation. In 2020, the museum removed all human remains from public display as part of a broader decolonization process, including the Naga ancestral remains.
Dr. Vihuto Asumi, President of the Sumî Hoho Naga tribe, stated that the return of the remains is significant for spiritual healing. "They've been here in a foreign land for more than a century," he said. "We believe that their spirits are still not at rest—so by doing this, we believe it will bring spiritual healing, not only to the ancestral remains here but to everyone who died during the head-hunting days."