Last month, Ellen Konyak, a member of the Naga Forum for Reconciliation (NFR), was shocked to discover that the horned skull of a Naga tribesman, believed to be from the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland, was being auctioned in the UK. The discovery was part of a disturbing trend where human remains collected by European colonial administrators continue to surface in Western markets, museums, and private collections, prompting renewed calls for the return of ancestral remains.
Auction Controversy- Why Did the Sale of the Naga Skull Spark Outrage?
The skull was advertised as part of a “Curious Collector Sale” by The Swan at Tetsworth, an antique center in the UK. It was valued between ÂŁ3,500 ($4,490) and ÂŁ4,000 ($5,132). The auction listed the Naga skull and other human remains, including shrunken heads from the Jivaro people of South America and skulls from the Ekoi people of West Africa. The sale of these human remains sparked outrage.
Konyak, who is deeply involved in bringing Naga human remains back to their homeland, described her shock upon hearing the news. “To see that people are still auctioning our ancestral human remains in the 21st century was shocking,” she said. “It was very insensitive and deeply hurtful.”
Protests Against the Auction- How Did the Naga Community Respond?
The public outcry against the auction was swift. Naga scholars, experts, and leaders condemned the sale. The Chief Minister of Nagaland, Konyak’s home state, wrote a letter to the Indian Foreign Ministry, calling the auction “dehumanizing” and a continuation of “colonial violence” against the Naga people. This public response prompted the auction house to withdraw the sale. Still, for the Naga people, the episode highlighted the enduring trauma of colonialism and the need for the repatriation of their ancestors’ remains.
A Complex History of Collection- Were the Human Remains Taken With Consent?
Scholars suggest that the human remains sold or displayed in Western museums were often either bartered as part of colonial exchanges or taken without consent. Alok Kumar Kanungo, a scholar of Naga culture, estimates that the UK’s public museums and private collections alone hold around 50,000 objects from Nagaland. With the most extensive Naga collection, Oxford University’s Pitt Rivers Museum (PRM) is home to approximately 6,550 items, including 41 human remains.
The continued existence of these items in museums, often displayed as “curiosities” or as symbols of so-called “primitive” cultures, has sparked ongoing ethical debates. Kanungo notes that human remains have come to be viewed as “white elephants” in museum collections—objects that can no longer be used to justify the display of Naga peoples as “uncivilized” or as a source of revenue from tourists. “They are no longer an object that can be disposed of or possessed by its owners; no longer a source of tourists’ money; can no longer be used to present Naga peoples as ‘uncivilized’; and of late have become an emotionally and politically charged issue,” Kanungo stated.
Growing Movement for Repatriation- How Are Museums Addressing Ethical Concerns?
As ethical concerns around the collection, sale, and display of human remains have grown, there has been a shift in how museums and collectors view these artifacts. Increasingly, institutions have begun to return human remains to their countries of origin. Museums such as PRM have already returned remains to communities in Australia, New Zealand, the US, and Canada. In 2019, PRM reported returning 22 items, with the figure now rising to 35, demonstrating a growing willingness to right past wrongs.
In response to increasing awareness of these issues, the PRM withdrew Naga skulls from public display in 2020 and placed them in storage. This move prompted the Naga Forum for Reconciliation (FNR) to formally request the repatriation of the Naga remains.
The Legal and Spiritual Journey to Repatriation- Why Is It So Complicated?
While several communities have undertaken the repatriation process, it is often fraught with legal and logistical challenges. Repatriating human remains requires a detailed investigation into how these items were obtained, identifying descendants, and navigating international regulations on the movement of human remains. “Repatriating human remains is more complicated than returning artifacts,” said an expert at the Pitt Rivers Museum. “It requires extensive research to determine whether the items were collected ethically, to identify descendants, and to navigate complex international regulations on the movement of human remains.”
To facilitate the return of Naga human remains, the NFR has formed a group called Recover, Restore, and Decolonize, led by anthropologists Dolly Kikon and Arkotong Longkumer. This team has been working tirelessly to uncover the historical background of the Naga items held abroad. “It is a bit like detective work,” Longkumer explained. “We have to sift through different layers of information and try to read between the lines to find out about the exact nature of the collections and where they are from.”
However, the process is legal and deeply spiritual for the Naga community. Konyak emphasized that this is not just about reclaiming physical remains. “We are dealing with human remains,” she said. “It’s an international and legal process, but it’s also a spiritual one for us.”
Raising Awareness and Rebuilding Connections- How Are Naga Elders Involved?
As part of their advocacy, the NFR has traveled to villages, met with Naga elders, and organized educational initiatives to raise awareness of the repatriation movement. The group has also been using comics, videos, and other materials to educate younger generations about the significance of their ancestor’s remains and the cultural importance of bringing them home.
One of the group’s critical efforts has been to build consensus around how the repatriated remains should be treated, especially given that most Nagas now follow Christianity. At the same time, their ancestors practiced animism, with different birth and death rituals.
Uncovering the Truth- Were Naga Elders Aware of the Human Remains in Foreign Collections?
In their research, the group discovered that many Naga elders were unaware that their ancestors’ remains were held in foreign museums. One elder explained to anthropologist Tiatoshi Jamir that the absence of these remains could cause their ancestors’ souls to become restless. After reading about them in a local newspaper in the early 2000s, Jamir only learned of the Naga skulls in foreign collections.
The Colonial Legacy- How Did British Colonialism Impact Naga Culture?
The colonial history of Nagaland is a dark chapter in its history. The British took control of the Naga territories in 1832, and in 1873, the Inner Line Permit was introduced to control access to the region tightly. Historians recount how colonial administrators suppressed Naga uprisings by burning villages, looting cultural artifacts, and erasing critical cultural markers. For the Naga people, the removal and display of human remains are a painful reminder of this violent legacy.
A Personal Connection- How Did Konyak Feel About Discovering Her Ancestor's Remains?
For Konyak, the fight for repatriation is personal. She was deeply moved when she discovered that one of the human remains listed by PRM belonged to a person from her village. “I am like, ‘Oh my goodness! It belongs to one of my ancestors,'” she shared with emotion. This realization only reinforced her resolve to see the remains returned.
Konyak remains unsure of how the last rites will be performed once the remains are repatriated. However, she is sure that bringing them back is essential in reclaiming Naga history. “But we want them back as a mark of respect to our elders,” she said. “To reclaim our history. To claim our narrative.”
