A section of the audience at the Public Event at the Lecture Hall of the Museum of Natural History, Oxford University on June 13. (Photo Courtesy: Sanen Kichu)
Wider dialogue to declaration as Naga repatriation effort gains ground in UK
Oxford (United Kingdom), June 15 (MExN): In a significant step towards the repatriation process, the Naga delegation concluded a week-long visit to the United Kingdom with deeper engagement with other UK institutions as well as the proclamation of The Naga Oxford Declaration on Repatriation.
The visit marked a milestone in the ongoing efforts, spearheaded by the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) and its Recover, Restore and Decolonise (RRaD) team along with tribal leaders, to repatriate ancestral human remains from the Pitt Rivers Museum (PRM) at Oxford University.
The visit culminated after a series of events at PRM on June 13. These included the Naga delegation’s discussions with representatives from various British museums holding Naga belongings and human remains.
The representatives were Dr Alexandra Green, Curator, British Museum; Dr Mark Elliot, Senior Curator of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge University; Georgina Young, Head of Exhibitions and Collections at Manchester University; Nusrat Ahmed, Lead Curator of the South Asia Gallery; Navjot Mangat and Heba Abd El Gawad, Representatives of the Horniman Museum, London; and Lisa Graves, Curator, Bristol Museum.
They updated the delegation on various belongings held by their respective institutions. (See box)
Open public event
The discussions was followed by an open public event at the Lecture Hall of the Museum of Natural History, Oxford University, initiated by Prof Arkotong Longkumer.
During the same, Kumsang Bendangtoshi, Presidential Council Member, and Tongor Luden, Ao Senden, dedicated the proceedings to the ancestors and spirits, while PRM Director Prof Dr Laura van Broekhoven updated on the ‘fruitful’ week-long discussions.
Dr Visier Sanyü offered a traditional chant, invoking the reunion of ancestors with the creator to heal past and present wounds.
Thereafter, the Naga Oxford Declaration on Repatriation was proclaimed by Thejao Vihienuo, President, Angami Public Organisation.
The declaration (reported earlier) expressed gratitude to the ancestors but sought forgiveness for the delay in reclaiming their remains, and affirmed a collective commitment to return them to their Naga homelands and ensure a ‘dignified rest.’
It also acknowledged the repatriation process as a journey towards the “healing and wholeness of the Naga people” and extended solidarity to fellow Indigenous Peoples across the world pursuing similar paths.
Besides Vihienuo and Bendangtoshi, the declaration was signed by Talamong Khiamnuingan, Executive Chairman, Khiamniungan Tribal Council; A Peihwang Wangsa, Representative of the Konyak Union; Ngongba Tange Thamlong Phom, Vice President, Phom People’s Council (PPC); Dr Vihuto Asumi, President, Sumi Hoho; Jollyson Ronra Shimray, Vice President, Tangkhul Naga Long; and Dr P Ngullie on behalf of the FNR.
Thereafter, all Nagas present at the public event, including the delegation, gave their assent to the Declaration, and it was presented to Prof Dr Broekhoven, the PRM Director.
Centrality of healing
Meanwhile, during a panel discussion at the open public event, FNR Member and Editor & Publisher of The Morung Express, Dr Aküm Longchari, noted an increase in violence, fragmentation, and polarisation across the world.
Against this backdrop, he called for reimagining the “interplay of Humanisation, JustPeace and Healing, as the embodied aspirations of the people, as a process to address the turbulence of the world today.”
He also stressed that healing is central for the Nagas in addressing generational trauma.
Prof Dr Broekhoven, Rev Dr Ellen Konyak Jamir, Coordinator RRaD, and Prof Arkotong were part of the panel.
It was followed by PPC’s Ngongba invoking the ancestors in his mother tongue, highlighting the need for healing and a formal apology from the British Government. He assured the ancestors of the delegation’s commitment to return the remains home.
Elucidating on the RRaD, Rev Dr Ellen outlined how the team reached out to grassroots communities and engaged a range of stakeholders throughout the process.
A book titled, Healing of the Lands: Reflections & Dialogues on the Naga Repatriation Journey, edited by Dr Talilula Longchar and Dr Pangernungba Kechu, was also released by Prof Dr Broekhoven at the event.
New Truth
At the closing reception at PRM, Dr Asumi provided a brief chronology of ‘Naga assertions’ as sovereign republics and connected the ongoing repatriation process to their continued struggle for dignity, justice, and healing.
Professor Dolly Kikon concluded the proceedings with reflections on the week-long visit, describing it as the creation of a “new truth” and a step towards “new promises of peace and a shared future.”
She urged the audience to commit to new ways of learning that focus on co-learning, working together, and listening to the Indigenous people leading the process.
“Colonisation was a project of division,” Professor Kikon noted, calling for the Naga and global repatriation processes to restore dignity to ancestors and become beacons of humanity, healing, and inclusivity.
