Naga elders and leaders representing various tribal Hohos from Northeast India held a significant meeting with Rt Hon the Lord Boateng of Akyem and Wembley at the House of Lords in London, as part of ongoing efforts to repatriate ancestral human remains held in British institutions.
The visit comes in the wake of widespread condemnation in October 2024 over a proposed sale of human remains by an Oxfordshire auction house. The remains, which included those of Naga ancestors, were all sourced from the Global South. Lord Boateng, along with Baroness Black of Strome, played a pivotal role in halting the auction by advocating for a parliamentary debate that ultimately helped prevent the sale.
“No human remains should be treated as possessions, curiosity, or for profit. It is morally wrong and offensive,” Lord Boateng told the delegation. He acknowledged the work of Indigenous communities and added, “I salute your struggles to give voice to all Indigenous Peoples because this process represents the Indigenous peoples of the world. We are one people and all of us are deserving of respect.”
The Naga team is currently in the UK to collaborate with the Pitt Rivers Museum on the return of human remains belonging to their ancestors. During the meeting, the delegation thanked Lord Boateng “for his commitment in advocating for legislative change around the dehumanising sale of human remains.”
Reflecting on shared colonial experiences, Lord Boateng spoke of his Ghanaian roots and drew parallels with India’s history. “India and Ghana experienced oppression under British colonial rule, and each fought for their independence. This arc of independence for India and Ghana became the foundations of freedom and justice,” he said. “Parliament was the site, on the one hand, where Indigenous lands were taken. On the other hand, Parliament was also the site where acts of independence were signed.” Despite the end of colonial rule, he noted, “there is freedom now in most former colonies, but they are yet to experience justice.”
The meeting also saw the presentation of an official report on House of Lords parliamentary debates focused on the ethics and legality of selling and displaying human body parts. The debates aimed to pave the way for laws that would criminalise such practices in the future.
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Representing the Naga delegation, Thejao Vihienuo, President of the Angami Public Organisation, expressed appreciation for the support shown by the UK lawmaker. “We are in the United Kingdom to redress the history of colonialism through which the ancestors’ remains were taken,” he said.
The urgency of repatriation was echoed by Ngongba Tange Thamlong Phom, Vice President of the Phom Peoples’ Organization, who stated, “There are many ancestors belonging to our people, and the spirits will not find rest and peace until we bring them home.”
Rev Aching Peihwang Wangsa, representing the Konyak Union, stressed the emotional importance of the journey, saying it was meaningful to “come to the UK and witness their ancestors who were taken away many decades ago.”
Dr Ngullie, an elder from the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR), underscored the spiritual dimension of the visit. “We have been called to this place by our ancestors who were cared for by the Pitt Rivers Museum,” he said. “We are here to reconcile and bring healing not only to the Naga lands, but to humanity.”
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