Dialogue on Naga Repatriation, Decolonization, and Healing kicks off in Dimapur
The two-day “September Dialogue on Naga Repatriation, Decolonization, and Healing” began at The Lighthouse Church, Dimapur, on Friday, September 6.
Setting the tone for the dialogue, Rev Dr Ellen Konyak Jamir, coordinator of Recover, Restore and Decolonize (RRaD), provided a brief background on how conversations about the repatriation of Naga remains from the Pitt Rivers Museum at Oxford University, UK, commenced.
“Discussions regarding the possibility of repatriating Naga human remains began in the winter of 2020 and marked the first steps of the journey undertaken by the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR),” she said.
Rev Jamir discussed the paradigm shifts occurring in museum policies, noting that the Pitt Rivers Museum utilized the concept of “Radical Hope” to reimagine the future for museums deeply rooted in coloniality.
Experiences from around the world show that repatriation processes are complex, with some communities engaging in the process for decades. For Rev. Ellen, it is more than just the return of human remains or the forgotten dead. “It is deeply interconnected with a web of other matters fundamental to Naga life.”
“We have an opportunity to create a pathway towards the future, to redress and reconcile, and in the process, usher in critical change in our Naga homeland while honoring our ancestors,” she added.
In the first session, Prof Dolly Kikon, Director of the Centre for South Asian Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, described repatriation as a “trigger” for the Naga people.
She recounted how, when the repatriation process began four years ago, several questions arose. The Naga response had been emotive—“emotions of surprise, sadness, shame, and anger,” she said. In this context, this dialogue is crucial for helping the Naga people find a way forward.
On decolonization, Prof Kikon described it as a process, a way of life, a practice. “You have to embody it,” she insisted.
Regarding healing, Prof Kikon emphasized its importance, particularly in the Naga context, given the traumatic past experienced by many.
“The journey of healing is to find a way to transcend suffering. Perhaps these questions rest in our mortality and how we care for one another and view this life as a limited gift on earth,” she said.
Prof Tiatoshi Jamir of the Department of History and Archaeology, Nagaland University, presented on “Isüng Ütsü” (Our Story – in Changki dialect), sharing his decade-long experience in “community archaeology” as a practice toward decolonization.
As a way forward, he suggested the need for systematic provenance work with the help of experts in identifying remains, support from the government, and institutions like PRM in providing the resources needed for the repatriation process. This involves engaging communities, strengthening knowledge exchange among students, and changing attitudes towards death and burial practices.
The need to recognize intergenerational trauma and healing was emphasized.
Other presenters of the day included Dr Visier Sanyü, Dr P Ngully, Mannpai H Phom, Dr Amihe Swu, Dr Loina Shohe, and Bauna Panmei.