Reclaiming of Ancestral Naga Skulls
In October, Ellen Konyak, a member of the Naga Forum of Reconciliation, discovered that a 19th century skull from the Indian state of Nagaland was listed for auction in the UK. Upon hearing this news, she was hurt to learn that the ancestral remains of her people were being auctioned. The British took over Nagaland in 1832 and the skull was one of many items they collected. Upon hearing about the auction, many Naga scholars and experts also expressed frustration for the “continued colonial violence” of their people. While the skull was removed from the auction due to public outcry, the Naga community was still impacted as they were reminded of a violent past due to colonial rule.
It is estimated that the UK’s public museums and private collections hold 50,000 Naga objects. Oxford University’s Pitt Rivers Museum has the largest Naga collection and also holds human remains from other states of British India. Recently, anthropologists have been working with the Naga community to return the human remains and spread awareness. The Naga people’s efforts to bring back their remains is in an effort to reclaim their history and their narrative.
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