Kohima, November 10: The ancestral remains of 39 members of the Naga community, held at the University of Oxford's Pitt Rivers Museum for more than a century, have been returned to Nagaland in a historic repatriation initiative.

The remains were formally handed over to representatives of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) and the Naga Tribe Hoho at a ceremony held at the museum on Monday.

A transfer of title document was signed by Pitt Rivers Museum Director Professor Laura Van Broekhoven and FNR representative Reverend Dr Wati Aier. Visier Sanyu, representing the FNR, and Thejao Vihienuo, representing the Naga Tribe Hoho, witnessed the signing.

According to a statement issued by the FNR on Tuesday, the ancestral remains began their journey from the University of Oxford to Nagaland after the handover.

The remains had been part of the collections of the Pitt Rivers Museum, which was established in 1884 and houses cultural artefacts collected from different parts of the world.

Addressing the ceremony, University of Oxford Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey described the handover as a historic moment in the relationship between the university and the Naga people. She said the initiative reflected a community-led effort towards reconciliation, healing and peace.

During the event, Sanyu spoke about the impact of British colonial violence on Naga communities. He also recalled that his own village had been burnt by colonial forces.

Thejao Vihienuo, president of the Angami Public Organisation and representative of the Naga Tribe Hoho, said the return of the ancestral remains was the right of the Naga people to care for their ancestors. He also called for all other Naga ancestral remains held in museums to be returned to their homeland with dignity.

Preparations are underway to bury the remains at Naga Solidarity Park in Kohima. The park's management committee has allocated a designated site for the burial. A prayer service was also held to mark the beginning of preparations, committee convenor Vipopal Kintsi said.

He said the proposed burial site would provide a common resting place for the ancestral remains and help promote healing, reconciliation and unity among the Naga people.