OXFORD/KOHIMA: In a landmark moment during the ongoing repatriation process of Naga ancestral remains, leaders of various Naga Tribe Hohos and the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) jointly issued the Naga Oxford Declaration on Repatriation on Friday.
The declaration was made during a public session at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History Lecture Theatre, marking a significant step in the community’s quest to bring their ancestors back to their homelands.
The declaration, read out and affirmed by representatives of the Naga delegations, conveyed gratitude to the ancestors for serving as a silent testimony to the Naga people’s history and resilience. “We are grateful to our ancestors for being a testament and silently proclaiming the stories of our people,” the declaration stated.
The leaders expressed regret that the journey to reclaim their forebears had taken decades, but underscored their united commitment to returning the ancestral human remains from museums and ensuring a dignified resting place. “We are sorry that it has taken us several decades, but we are here now to reclaim and return you to the homelands from where you were taken. We are committed to the process of your return from museums,” it stated.
The declaration also acknowledged that the repatriation process is “towards the healing and wholeness of the Naga people,” emphasising that the effort is driven by consensus, mutual respect, and a vision of establishing a monument of healing and peace. The monument, the leaders noted, would symbolise the oneness of the Naga community across generations.
“As Nagas, we do so in a united voice, with mutual respect and consensus and to offer you a dignified rest, establishing a Naga monument of healing and peace for all generations, symbolising the oneness of the Nagas,” it stated.
The declaration also extended solidarity to Indigenous communities worldwide engaged in similar repatriation and decolonisation efforts. “We extend our solidarity to fellow Indigenous Peoples across the world who seek to undertake a similar journey of repatriation in the hope of bringing decolonisation, justice, and peace—not just for ourselves, but for humanity,” it stated, invoking divine guidance for the journey ahead.
The joint declaration was signed by a broad cross-section of Naga tribal leadership, including Thejao Vihienuo, President, Angami Public Organisation; Talamong Khiamniungan, Executive Chairman, Khiamniungan Tribal Council; Ngongba Tange Thamlong Phom, Vice President, Phom Peoples’ Council; Jollyson Ronra Shimray, Vice President, Tangkhul Naga Long; Kumsang Bendangtoshi, Presidential Council Member, Tongror Luden Ao Senden; A. Peihwang Wangsa, Representative of the Konyak Union; Dr Vihuto Asumi, President, Sümi Hoho; and Dr P. Ngullie, on behalf of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation.
The declaration comes as the Naga delegation continues its week-long engagement at the University of Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum, where ancestral human remains, belonging to Naga ancestors, have been held for more than a century.
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