Translated into Inpui by Sachoiba (Isaac) Inkah
Forum for Naga Reconciliation
Public Statement on Repatriation of Naga Ancestral Remains
Kahouchoung
Forum for Naga Reconciliation, Pitts Rivers Museum (PRM) khatle Edinburgh khatle University of Melbourne bi koicha (research) to ongnu Naga rwan le kutkai karung luga Pitts Rivers Museum bi kairi thang ongnu kama Naga pupi rwan om potchaak, rurwaang, lurwang, sam khatle katei katei Naga talei bi phun han hung za lat lang rakan ga karam ongme.
Pitts Rivers Museum na taleibi COVID-19 pandemic ambriakpina tha inpaang museum thingluga Bangeipuitha (September) 22, 2020 bi lat latnu kaan bi kama pupi rwan om rurwaang khatle bani om pot katei katei khang meithaanbi indaoga pi phaang ongnu ga lousat luga bariak kachanu riakla kaithou thang rwe. Heiba chwan na Pitts Rivers Museum bi ongnu rwanna kakhan minga kakhannu le bacham ga bani na tamga kathui luga kama British om colony to ong ngaaknu taram bina mi sa om rurwaang, sam, lurwaang katei katei bingga bani na lou damnu riak bi pi han hung lat lang diga heiba chwan choikanu we. Naga pupi rwan om lurwaang, ruren, sam katei katei le tamga sui nu amnu ga le mibing meithaan bi indao ga thang ongbina louta luga uipu (box) bi kai thou thang ong me. Ntun ntun Pitts Rivers Museum bi Naga pupi rwan om ruren, lurwaang, sam dannu katei katei 214 khak kaithou thang amme.
Dolly Kikon (Naga anthropologists), ntun ntun University of Melbourne bi Associate Professor tu ungnu maanna The Guardians bi PRM na heiba chwan choika ongnu ding pasu luga Naga pupi rwan om potchaat amnu om lang bi PRM om Director ding kalam ngaak rwe. Atiga maanna heiba om langbi Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) khou rin hungnu le bachamga PRM na FNR ding kalam hungnu we. FNR khou kalam hungnu baram be FNR na Naga chaat ding kaikarung lang khatle Naga rwan lak bi sungcham-laacham damlang kaikarungnu chwan choika ongnu ding theiluga banina kalam hungnu we. Atiga FNR na heiba om langbi tamga kakhan luga heiba repatriation (mikhat/pot khat ding baom talei la phun hung latnu) chwanna nto choika zubo khatle Naga pupi rwan ding ba talei bi kalwang hung lat luga bariak chanu pham bi maktabe takhwaang to zanu riakpi saga pilo basat lang diga heiba chwanna choi ka thounu we. Katoinu bakaan sung bi FNR na zong khutluga PRM khouna phangnu choung le bachamga FNR na Naga om chaat katei katei khou heiba meiri tamga kathui thou rwe.
Atiga PRM nale FNR le diga chwan to bacham lang saga za thang rwe. PRM na rinne, “FNR na ntun ntun choika ungnu Naga lakpi pisanu (healing), kokthang kalenu, chaat bing ding kaikarungnu khatle luitakrai (history) bi kungnu inza ding kai karung lang to ongnu chwan donna ani om chwan le diga choika bachamnu bi sa dinngnu inza am rwe atibriakpina Naga patso rwan, kaichingpu rwan, khatle chaat om kaichingpu to ongnu rwan katei katei le diga kakhanluga Naga pupi rwan om rurwaang maktabe bani om pot katei katei bingga kanung ntonu gongbi kaithou zubo maktabe pi hang hung latchubo dinu ya nani na kachanu bi rin hungbi chwanna choika lang tune.” Atiga PRM na heiba om chwan don bi kungnu inza amnu ding ntonu gongbi kai karung hungza bo khatle pupi rwan om ruren amnu chaat le diga saga kutkai karung luga chwan choika lang to ong me.
The Process and Time Frame
Heiba Naga pupi rwan om rurwaang phun hung lat katinu bi chwan bathaak tamga khut lang nge. Haba thaak rwan zo: public engagement (Khang le kathui kale nu), provenance research (am ungnu rurwaang nga inpei chaat, phum maktabe inkhun ding banai katakpo dinu zong khutnu), minun rwan/chaat bing om baning (opinion) lou kanu/khom kadoinu, am ongnu rurwaang nga ani khou sinna thanglat ro diga PRM khou official claims tunu, Naga chaat rwan na PRM la setang luga am ongnu rurwaang dingga baphaang luga phun hung lang zanu pinu, heirwanne.
Heiba chwan donna sangwan kariat-som-inpaangto (8-15) khak lounuza ye. Heiba chwan choika ongbiya anina kalam zanu bing ding kalam ne atiluga mibing khou pitheinu le bachamga bazenu ga phang lang zongmin khutnu le bacham ga international law bi paam ambo dinu le kathai bachamne. Haza makka heiba chwan donna khat le khat ding kaikarung lang khatle ani lak pi hung tang la kalenu ding pisa (healing) lang atiluga decolonization methodologies bi ani om thouliak khatle ani om legal practices ding takung ga choithou lang tune.
FNR as Facilitator
FNR na heiba chwan choikanu wa PRM na talot hungnu ding lou kadounu tuga khatle Naga pupi rwan om rurwaang phaangsiam (museum) bi amnu bing ga saga phun hung luga bani ding pi lobasak lang diga bani le kutkai kale lu chwan tulang dinu we. Heiba chwan don bi ani khat khat le kathui kale luga ntonu na sading bo dinu kakhan bachamne khatle Naga chaat le civil society, rupkathan khatle Nagaland government le diga kutkai kale luga chwan choika lang to ongme.
Heiba chwan choithou bi Naga chaat bing khatle ningtingnu bing hung kadoi luga mibing/khang om chwan pham toga choika lang nge atiga FNR na le swak ongnu baram bi Naga chaat kaichingpu rwan khou chamthwan le hiaklu bathan damnu rwe. FNR na chamthwan bathan bi chaat kasemna katak hungnu ding ani le kadou nu rwe atiga chaat katei om na katak hungnu ding le ngaak ka ong me. PRM na le kama patso rurwaang amnu bing om barui bazem, thirui, chaat, bani talei zong mingga zong luga kanai kataknu chaat maktabe inkhun khou bachoi thang lang to ongnu we. Heiba chwan na choika bi FNR na le Nagaland state government dingle kalamne/kathuine atiluga chaat bing om baning le lou luga kathui kale lang tune.
FNR na theiye hazo choika ongnu chwan bi mi tam ga kathui lang khatle kaso lang bathaang amme atiga heiba chwan na kani khat khat tuga choika lang tune. Atiga Naga chaat na haba phaangsiam (museum) bi rurwaang khatle katei katei amnu bing om bapuba tu briakpina Naga chaat na heiba om chounghan na loune.
Recover Restore and Decolonise Team (RRaD)
Heiba chwan don choika langna diga FNR na Recover Restore and Decolonise (RRaD) dinu rup khat som thang luga heiba rup na kathai min luga/zongmin khutluga khatle banina indigenous experts rwan ding kalam luga koicha (research) choithounu za makka mi bing ding pi bahaaptanu chwan choi ka lang nge. Naga sarwan na ani pupi rwan om rurwaang PRM bi amnu bing nga phun hung rizo dinu amme be RRaD na University of Oxford bi official claim khut tulang nge. Haba om chwan bi pakthang lang khatle banang thang lang FNR na takhwaang toga Naga anthropologist Dr. Dolly Kikon, University of Melbourne khatle Dr. Arkotong Longkumer, Senior Lecturer, University of Edingburgh, UK ding RRaD team ding suiphaang lang khatle PRM le kalam za lang lang thang rwe.
RRaD na chwan kasem choi thou ongnu rwanzo- elou-ngai (interview) louluga choungpao (information) khom kadoinu, khat khat meiri rai kalenu, focus groups kadoinu, workshops, survey questionnaire khatle Naga chaat katei katei om patso naosen ding kadounu, khang ding meiri rainu khatle mibing thei za lang PRM niamkum (videos), public lectures, comic book, niamkum (videos) katei katei phunswak luga/bacha luga choungpao (information) na awareness tuga mibing khou indao thangnu hei rwanne. Heiba rup na hung katinu kaan bile repatriation chwan choika ongnu chaat katei katei ding kadou luga maktabe bani khouna le bachuza khatle louzanu bing lou lang tune. FNR an Naga chaat kasem ding kadounu kaan bi RRaD team bi suizanu koicha tonu rwan (researchers) kathang ka lang le rin damnu rwe.
A Naga Pathway
FNR na Naga rwan om luitakrai khatle meiri suitheiye. Naga na rwan thwei bina dwak swaklu ningtonu lousu lang karamnu ntun tangga karam ongmai. Colonialism om bakamong/bakungri ding baputheinu le bacham ga thou lamnu khatle ntun ntun ani khou swak ongnu ding le theiminga thei lang bathaang lianga amme. Rin bachakka, FNR na Naga rwan ding kai kadoi nu chwan choika bina tamga lousunu amme hazo pisanu (healing) phun hung lang karam bi kama rwanna ani ding rai damnu (violence) maktabe tobasiat damnu inza bingga le diga kathai makka ani mi khat ding kai karungnu maktabe healing phun hung lang karamnu heiya kung ga swak ae. Ani luitakrai ding khat khat toga maktabe kaka toga khaiswakka ntun kaan le kama kaan diga khai lang swaknu heiya za mak ae. Naga om context bi, repatriation (mikhat/potchaak ding ba talei bi phun hung latnu) heiya decoloniality om thwei bi choika maknu za maknu amme. Heiya theimin bina Naga om lampui khatle ani na choika om chwan bi ta-ngai tamga amnu om katak (answers) heiya zongsu ngam lune. Atibriakpina Naga om lampui lang ani mibing khatkhat le lungning lian kale lang khatle sungkhut lang bathaang amme.
Repatriation heiya ani om pupi om rurwaang phun hunglu ga bapham chanu riakpi pi lobasak thangnu za mak ae atiyeda ani Naga om meiri khatle luitakrai (history) rai lang khatle ani na ani ding into phaangbo khatle ani khat khat ting thei inku kanu om lampui khat ae. Batakka rinnuba repartriation heiya choungku (justice), rights, takthot (identity), talim (dignity), thouliak (culture), kathiangnu (sacredness), khatle katha om chwan ne diga le rin zaye. Heiya misa lungning ding decolonise tulu misa ding ranswak lang tonu chwan khat ae. Naga om lampui le kale-swak kale-khut nu amnu taye. Choithou ongnu chwanna Naga om thouliak le diga chananu taye, khat khat chounglaa kathui kale nu taye, atiluga international process le diga ani om repatriation chwanna nto kai kapwa zabo dinu zong lang khatle kakhan lang bathaang amme.
Atiga heiba chwan na teithak thaknu khatle choithou zat maknu chwan briak pina anina thei tangnu maknu luklian (concepts/terms) le inza am rwe. Atiga ntun talei bi misa seswak sekhut nu khatle phaap (idea) bariak bathin kala rwe. Atibriak pina mi chaat bing maktabe academic discipline bing le baning tuga maktabe rangtuga tei laklak ongnu mak ae maktabe heiba luklian (concept) bi ani om zwe diga pa khat chana le barang to ongnu maak ae. Atibriak bi choi ongnu choungkaang nga talei lian choinu ngaaknu zaye atiyeda bakaba, theimudou (experiences) khatle sezin dingnu gongga ba ani om luitakrai khatle ani om meiri le diga chananu bi sezin lang tune.
FNR khatle RRaD na Naga om ningting, meiri, kasingkanei (values), bi bathuk piluga rwan chaat katei katei om le bachu luga maktabe ba zong luga Naga rwan lang nga ingana cha/sa dingbo dinu kakhanne. Longleng District bi ongnu patso khatna RRaD team khou atiga rinne, “Ani pupi rwanna bani ding museum inbaang (wall) bi bakhai thang ongda bani katha daibazaang/karo ding bo? Bani katha ga lobasat ngaak laye.” Naga pupi rwan om rurwaang PRM om uipu (box) bi thang ong lang mu maktabe bani ding nga Naga talei bi phung lat lang bo dinu wa ani Naga mibing rang zung rwe. FNR na facilitator toga khat khat ting kathui lang chamdaan ong me. Atiga ani chwan meithaan khutza lang nani om tarapao (suggestions) khatle lungning kasanu maktabe bazenu ga inga bo diga zong khut zanu phaap (idea) pi hungnu ding ngaak ongme. Nani na rin nwaam maktabe zek nwaamnu bing FNR khou rin hung thang ngo, atiyeda mi pa khat patni za ding pan thang makka khatle depoliticise tu makka ani chwan saga choithou lang to zo.
Issued by:
Forum for Naga Reconciliation
Date: May 19, 2023
