Anthropologists and community leaders from Nagaland, a remote state in north-eastern India bordering Myanmar, have welcomed the decision by the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford to return human remains belonging to their ancestors after nearly a century of being held in the UK. On Monday, the museum announced it would repatriate 39 pieces of remains—including skull fragments, a finger, and a piece of skin with hair—following six years of negotiations between the Naga community and the institution.

For the Naga people, the repatriation carries profound cultural and emotional significance beyond the physical remains. “It is about memory returning to where it belongs,” a community statement said. Indigenous Konyak man A Peihwang Wangsa, whose ancestors are among those being returned, described the announcement as a moment of both “mourning and celebration,” adding, “We are at peace. Our forefathers are coming back.” Similarly, NT Thamlong Phom, a community leader from the Phom sub-tribe, expressed joy and gratitude, noting that the decision brought happiness across his community and offered a final resting place for their ancestors’ spirits.

Thejao Vihienuo, who participated in the repatriation talks and visited Oxford in 2025, spoke of mixed emotions. He said seeing the remains had initially caused anger and sadness due to the circumstances under which they were taken, which he described as “most dubious.” Vihienuo criticized how the remains had been displayed “as if it was a trophy,” reflecting on the atrocities committed by British colonial forces. He emphasized the importance of returning the remains to honour their ancestors and to help younger generations “decolonise their minds” and challenge notions of inferiority.

The Nagas are a transnational group of Indigenous tribes residing in India’s northeast and parts of Myanmar. Historically known for practices such as headhunting, most Naga people today are Christian. The Pitt Rivers Museum, which houses one of the world’s largest ethnological collections, holds over 6,500 Naga objects, with 898 previously exhibited. Much of the collection was reportedly acquired under coercive circumstances during the colonial period by British administrators James Philip Mills and John Henry Hutton. The human remains remained on display for approximately 80 years until they were moved into storage in 2020 as part of the museum’s efforts to address its colonial legacy and confront how displaying human remains had perpetuated racist and stereotypical views.

The repatriation marks the culmination of a process initiated in 2020, when Naga anthropologist Prof Dolly Kikon contacted the museum after learning about its ethical review of the collection. What began as correspondence quickly evolved into a broader community-led campaign involving the Forum for Naga Reconciliation and a volunteer team called Recover, Restore and Decolonise. This initiative engaged multiple generations, uniting students, tribal leaders, civil society members, and churches across the region in an open and transparent effort to reclaim ancestral remains.

A delegation of Naga representatives, including tribal leaders, formally registered a claim to the remains during a visit to Oxford in 2025. The museum’s director, Laura Van Broekhoven, confirmed that paperwork to facilitate the handover was being finalised. She also noted that handover ceremonies are often highly emotional events. A ceremony is planned for November when the Naga delegation will return to Oxford to receive the remains, which are expected to arrive in Nagaland before the end of the year. They will be interred in a traditional burial ceremony in Kohima, the state capital. Prof Kikon described the repatriation as “a journey of redemption,” highlighting that it represents a step away from victimhood towards healing by restoring dignity and honour to a painful past.