ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the possibility of a Naga pathway for repatriating ancestral human remains from the Pitt Rivers Museum (PRM) in Oxford, UK, which removed the display of sacred objects and 120 human remains of indigenous people from their collections in 2020, including South American tsantsa (shrunken heads) and Naga ancestral human remains. The museum has in its collection approximately 213 Naga ancestral human remains including pieces of crania, calvaria, frontal bones, and other body parts, as well as weapons, ornaments, and artefacts embedded with human skin and hair. The chapter studies the formation by the Naga collective of the RRaD (Recover, Restore, and Decolonise) to begin discussions about the possible repatriation of Naga ancestral remains from the museum. The RRaD, the FNR (Forum for Naga Reconciliation), and Naga ancestral homeland researchers are variously attempting to collaborate with Pitt Rivers Museum to conduct research on and secure the repatriation of these remains as well as network with indigenous experts. This chapter investigates the possibility of ‘homing the remains of ancestors’ in Naga territories and the various politics and modes revolving around this proposed repatriation.
