Oxford University to Return 39 Naga Ancestral Remains to Their Community
Oxford University has agreed to hand back 39 human remains of the Naga people that were taken during colonial times.
After years of talks, the University of Oxford has committed to returning 39 human remains belonging to the Naga tribe that were collected during colonial rule and displayed at the Pitt Rivers Museum. The museum, which houses the world’s largest Naga collection, removed all human remains from public view in 2020. A Naga delegation, organized by Naga Tribe Hobos and the Forum for Naga Reconciliation, will travel to Oxford to receive the remains in a handover scheduled for November, the museum’s biggest repatriation to date.
Formal discussions began in 2020, with a 2025 visit by Naga representatives advancing the process. Museum director Laura Van Broekhoven confirmed the upcoming transfer.
Why it matters
The return addresses historic injustices and supports global calls for repatriating colonial-era human remains.
In this story
