Naga Tribe Hoho leaders issue Oxford Declaration to reclaim ancestral remains
OXFORD (UK), JUNE 14 (MExN): Representatives of various Naga Tribe Hohos and the Forum for Naga Reconciliation on June 13 issued a joint declaration during a public session held in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History Lecture Theatre.
In what is being termed the “Naga Oxford Declaration on Repatriation,” the signatories expressed their collective resolve to initiate and sustain a process of returning ancestral remains housed in foreign museums to their original homelands in Nagaland and surrounding Naga territories.
“We are grateful to our ancestors for being a testament and silently proclaiming the stories of our people,” the declaration stated, acknowledging the historical and spiritual significance of the remains.
“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 read.
The declaration underscored that repatriation is a step toward healing and restoration for the Naga people, and emphasised unity, mutual respect and a shared vision of dignity and peace.
“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 added.
The signatories also expressed solidarity with other Indigenous communities around the world engaged in similar repatriation efforts, stating that such movements were essential for decolonisation, justice, and peace.
The declaration was signed by Thejao Vihienuo, President, Angami Public Organisation; Kumsang Bendangtoshi, Presidential Council Member, Ao Senden; Talamong Khiamniungan, Executive Chairman, Khiamniungan Tribal Council; A Peihwang Wangsa, Representative, Konyak Union; Ngongba Tange Thamlong Phom, Vice President, Phom Peoples’ Council; Jollyson Ronra Shimray, Vice President, Tangkhul Naga Long; Dr Vihuto Asumi, President, Sümi Hoho and Dr P Ngullie, Representative, Forum for Naga Reconciliation.
A delegation comprising elders and leaders from various Naga Tribe Hohos, accompanied by members of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) and its Recover, Restore, and Decolonise (RRaD) team, is currently in Oxford on a weeklong visit in connection with the journey.
First published in The Morung Express June 14 2025
