Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Kohima: Oxford University handed over 39 ancestral remains to the Forum for Naga Reconciliation and the Naga Tribe Hoho on Monday. These remains sat in the Pitt Rivers Museum for over 100 years. The transfer marks a major shift in how the institution handles colonial-era collections.
Pitt Rivers Museum Director Professor Laura Van Broekhoven and Rev Dr Wati Aier signed the official transfer papers. Visier Sanyu and Thejao Vihienuo witnessed the signing. The remains have already left Oxford. They are headed to Nagaland for a proper burial.
University Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey called the move a historic moment for the university and the Naga people. She believes this effort supports peace. Sanyu recalled the brutal violence of British colonial rule during the ceremony. He noted the burning of his own village by colonial troops. He urged the community to embrace forgiveness, quoting the late activist Niketu Iralu: "Hate not transformed is transferred."
Vihienuo, who serves as president of the Angami Public Organisation, stated the return recognizes the right of the Naga people to look after their own ancestors. He demanded that other museums return all held Naga remains with dignity. The Pitt Rivers Museum, founded in 1884, held these items as part of its broad cultural collection.
Local teams are now prepping a common burial site at Naga Solidarity Park in Kohima. Committee convenor Vipopal Kintsi said the burial spot will provide a shared resting place. A prayer service recently took place at the park to mark the start of these preparations. Kintsi hopes this homecoming will bridge historical divisions and strengthen a collective Naga identity.
Updated at 10th November 2026 at 9:51pm
Nearly 30 community members from Nagaland traveled to Britain to attend the handover ceremony. The process to secure the return of the remains spanned six years, beginning in 2020.
The repatriation faced pushback from the Federal Government of Nagaland, which asked Oxford University to halt the handover and reexamine the process.
The ceremony included performances meant to honor the spirits of the dead. Nyamto Wangsha performed the Langhon Langpheng Ngao chant, while NT Thamlong Phom and Dr. Moishen Metjei Phom sang Nyokei Shemei Leishah. Rev. Dr. Ellen Konyak, who coordinates the Recover, Restore and Decolonise team, framed the event as the start of a new chapter for the Naga people to control their own history.
Comments