📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Diliff
International
Oxford University Returns 39 Naga Ancestral Remains to Nagaland
✍️ Mid-Day
🗓 11 Nov 2026, 02:52 PM
👁 10
Oxford University has handed over 39 ancestral remains of the Naga people, collected during the colonial period, to authorities in Nagaland.
Oxford University in the United Kingdom has completed the repatriation of 39 human remains belonging to the Naga community, returning them to the Indian state of Nagaland.
The remains, which were acquired during the British colonial era, were held in the university’s anthropology collections. Their return follows a series of discussions between the university, Indian officials and representatives of the Naga tribes.
Nagaland officials said the handover addresses a long‑standing demand for the respectful return of ancestral remains and will allow proper cultural and religious rites to be performed.
The move is part of a broader international trend where museums and academic institutions are reassessing colonial‑era collections and returning human remains to their communities of origin.
The remains, which were acquired during the British colonial era, were held in the university’s anthropology collections. Their return follows a series of discussions between the university, Indian officials and representatives of the Naga tribes.
Nagaland officials said the handover addresses a long‑standing demand for the respectful return of ancestral remains and will allow proper cultural and religious rites to be performed.
The move is part of a broader international trend where museums and academic institutions are reassessing colonial‑era collections and returning human remains to their communities of origin.