Oxford University’s Pitt Rivers Museum has agreed to return the remains of 39 individuals to the Naga community in northeast India. These remains were taken during Britain’s colonial rule and have been held by the museum for many years. The museum confirmed to Agence France-Presse that it is preparing to repatriate the remains, following a request from the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) and other local groups. The museum’s director, Laura Van Broekhoven, noted that the remains "have been away from their homeland for far too long." The FNR and other Naga organizations emphasized that repatriation is not just about returning physical remains, but also restoring cultural memory and identity. The FNR requested the return of 40 sets of human remains, but one set was not approved for repatriation due to unclear provenance as being of Naga origin. The museum is now working with the Naga community to set a date for a handover ceremony, which has not yet been finalized. The Pitt Rivers Museum holds over 6,000 Naga artifacts, many of which are currently under review for potential repatriation. Dr. Ellen Konyak Jamir, a member of the FNR, said that while recovering artifacts is a complex and ongoing process, it is not the current focus, as the return of human remains is a priority. The museum has previously faced criticism for displaying human remains, including shrunken heads and trophy heads, which were considered controversial and racially stereotyping. In 2020, the museum removed these items as part of an effort to "decolonize" its collections. A total of 120 human remains, including Naga trophy heads and an Egyptian mummy, were taken down from display. Van Broekhoven stated that the previous displays reinforced racist and stereotypical thinking, which the museum sought to address. The agreement with the FNR is part of a growing international movement to repatriate artifacts and human remains acquired during the colonial era. Earlier this year, the University of Edinburgh returned the skulls of six people from the Muscogee Nation in the United States. In 2022, London’s Horniman Museum returned 72 artifacts to Nigeria, including 12 Benin bronze artifacts. Meanwhile, Greece continues to demand the return of the Parthenon Marbles from Britain, arguing they were looted in the early 19th century. London maintains that the marbles were legally acquired and that the decision to return them rests with the British Museum.