Quakers welcome return of ancestral Naga remains
Quakers have welcomed the return of ancestral Naga remains, including human skulls, from an Oxford museum to the Naga people of north-east India.
The remains were returned by the Pitt Rivers Museum at a ceremony in Oxford on Monday, 9 November.
The ceremony was attended by Naga representatives, museum staff, academics and supporters, including Quakers.
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While the process of decolonisation has only just begun, Pitt Rivers has undertaken a very significant action, one that has wider significance.
- Ivan Hutnik
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Quakers and Naga communities in the Naga Hills, a mountainous region along the India-Myanmar border, have a long-standing relationship.
Supporting the Naga people in bringing their ancestors home is part of Quaker work to make meaningful reparations for colonialism.
The remains were taken during the British colonial period and held in UK collections for over a hundred years. The return follows years of dialogue between Naga representatives and the museum.
It comes as institutions across the UK face growing calls to return ancestral remains and cultural items acquired during the colonial era.
During the event, Professor Visier Sanya of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation described how his village was burned down by the colonial British force.
He said the power of forgiveness allowed new friendships to grow with those who caused harm.
Ivan Hutnik, one of a small group of Quakers offering friendship and solidarity to the Naga, said: “It has been a privilege to witness how the Naga people have collectively engaged in righting the wrongs of imperial history.
“While the process of decolonisation has only just begun, Pitt Rivers has undertaken a very significant action, one that has wider significance.
“The ceremony, especially the forgiveness offered by the Naga people, was very moving."