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Recover
Restore
And
Decolonise

Welcome
to the hearth
of RRaD

The repatriation of our Ancestral Remains is a process that requires mindfulness and compassion. We want you to be aware and prepared for information that may be confronting and distressing. There will be images and stories that reference our ancestors who have passed away under violent circumstances, and some of the language used may be offensive in the context of historical writings. You will also find many stories that are affirming and uplifting.

Public Statement on Repatriation of Naga Ancestral Remains

First released on May 19, 2023 in English concerning the Naga Ancestral Human Remains, which are in the current care of the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford University.

Featured Articles

Truly decolonise

To the uninitiated, yours truly included, the idea of decolonisation equated to the process of delinking or withdrawing political supremacy from a subjugated people by

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A Naga Repatriation

A larger question surrounding the repatriation of the Naga ancestral remains housed at the Pitt Rivers Museum concerns the ‘model’ on which Naga repatriation will

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Visual Stories

Released on February 17, 2023

A Path Home
A graphic novel on Naga Repatriation

By Arkotong Longkumer
Illustrated by Meren Imchen

Remembering those who have gone before us- understanding their stories, and the events that have come our way, is not a task for one person, but for the many. Knowing that I can share this with you gives me the strength to face what’s coming.

Submit this Form to Download the free PDF version of
A Path HomeA graphic novel on Naga Repatriation
By Arkotong Longkumer
Illustrated by Meren Imchen

Recover, Restore and Decolonise

Imprint

The Recover, Restore and Decolonise (RRaD) contains information and resources relating to the history and effects of the removal and repatriation of Naga Ancestral Remains. RRaD is a website that is constantly being developed and added to. Whilst we aim to only present information on this website that is appropriate for a public space, accurate and up to date, we would like to acknowledge that there are many gaps in the information shared which comes from both the historic record and our own knowledge. Please get in touch at [email protected] or any of our social media handles in our contact page, if you would like to share any thoughts or questions with us regarding repatriation, and/or if you have any comments, queries or suggestions on how we can make this website as useful and usable as possible.

While the Recover, Restore and Decolonise (RRaD) team (including all partner organisations) have used all reasonable endeavours to ensure the information on this site is as accurate as possible, it gives no warranty or guarantee that the material, information or publication made accessible is accurate, complete, current, or fit for any use whatsoever. No reliance should be made by a user of the material, information or publication accessed via this site.

The RRaD team (including all partner organisations) accepts no liability or responsibility for any loss or damage whatsoever suffered as a result of direct or indirect use or application of any material, publication or information made accessible via the website or any of our social media handles.

The RRaD Website provides links to companies/organisations and information external to the RRaD Website. In providing such links, the RRaD team and all partner organisations do not accept responsibility for, or endorse the content or condition of, any linked site. The RRaD team (including all partner organisations) reserves the right to vary the material, information or publication on this web site without notice.

©RRaD

Images used in the website have been used with permission from the creators.

Responsible Use

The purpose of this website is to create widespread awareness about the process of repatriation and the profound impact of colonization on Naga people. Please be warned that some of the information shared here may be distressing as they reference a problematic part of history when our ancestors were referred to as ‘savages’ and ‘inferior.’ There will also be stories of our ancestors who have passed away and their remains which were taken, researched on and displayed without consent by colonizers. We request that you take the information shared here with the gravity it deserves, and we believe that you will honour our guidelines of responsible use. 

  • Please treat the information with care and sensitivity.
  • Share and reflect on the stories to assist healing and reconciliation.
  • Support and engage in the process of repatriation of our ancestral remains.
  • Respect the knowledge shared by community members and their wishes on how it should be shared.

Welcome to RRaD

This website has been developed to share information about the process of finding and returning the remains of our ancestors taken by museums and collecting institutions all over the globe. The process of repatriation requires mindfulness and compassion and we want you to be aware and prepared for information that may be confronting and distressing. There will be images and stories of our ancestors whose remains were removed from their homelands in a historical context that is fraught with violence and injustice. As facilitators, we hope that the stories we share here will be meaningful and will help in restoring dignity and humanity to our ancestors, our people and the land.

May our ancestors guide us and bless this time and space.