A Naga delegation has set out to visit the Pitt Rivers Museum (PRM), University of Oxford, to begin what the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) has described as “a momentous historic occasion for Naga people.” From June 8 to 14, 2025, the delegation will engage in what is being called a week-long “learning and dialogue visit” aimed at repatriating ancestral human remains currently under the museum’s care.
This is the first time in Naga history that a delegation is being hosted by the PRM, which houses “the largest Naga collection in the world.” The group comprises elders and leaders from several Naga tribe hohos, members of the FNR, and the Recover, Restore and Decolonise (RRaD) team — a collective set up to guide the process of identifying, claiming, and recovering the remains.
Since 2020, the FNR has been facilitating this effort “through the lens of healing and reconciliation.” According to the forum, the objective has been to “seek the Naga people’s consent, participation and active support,” with a strong emphasis on tribal involvement. “To enable the process,” the FNR said, “the RRaD team [was formed] to conduct participatory action research with Naga communities.”
The museum currently holds approximately 219 Naga ancestral human remains. For the delegation, the aim is not limited to access or ceremonial meetings. It is also to initiate “dialogue, co-learning, and discussing how the museum cares for ancestors, as well as closely examining the return process and the way forward.”
Throughout the visit, the emphasis will remain on keeping the process Naga-led. The delegation stated it is “committed to ensuring that the process is a Naga-led dialogue to explore a pathway for the return and future care” of the remains. Discussions will also extend to “the future of Naga collections.”
The Forum has acknowledged PRM’s internal efforts to reflect on its colonial past, specifically its ‘Committed to Change’ policy and broader ‘Strategic Plan.’ Calling it “a sincere paradigm shift,” the FNR sees the collaboration as a significant step “toward addressing the colonial violence.” The forum added: “This involves Naga people rewriting and retelling our stories by focusing on social justice and decolonisation and begin healing from the burdens of a violent colonial past.”
At a time when Indigenous communities across the world are seeking the return of looted and extracted ancestral remains, the Naga delegation’s visit highlights both a shared international struggle and a uniquely local response.
Calling for public solidarity, the FNR stated: “A Naga pathway to repatriation needs to be dynamic and robust. Although the Naga response needs to be distinct, it must also be relatable, inclusive, interactive, and contribute to the international processes and discourses around repatriation.”
FNR, which continues to act as a facilitator, said it remains “open to engaging in dialogue” and welcomes “suggestions and constructive criticism as we make the way forward together.”