Latest news with #PittRiversMuseum
Borneo Post
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Borneo Post
Sa'ung weaving contest showcases Kenyah Badeng heritage at Kebana Festival in Miri
Hilary presents the mock cheque to Epa, whose sa'ung was adjudged best in competition. MIRI (June 20): The inaugural Sa'ung Weaving Competition held during the Kebana Festival here recently brought together weavers from across Sarawak in a vibrant celebration of Kenyah Badeng heritage and craftsmanship. Event spokesperson Hilary Samah Tet said the competition aimed not only to recognise weaving talent but also foster community participation, cultural pride and intergenerational learning. 'The competition was not just about winning – it was a platform for preserving tradition and passing down valuable skills to the younger generation,' he said in a statement. He added that the organisers are looking to make the event an annual feature in efforts to sustain and promote the traditional art form. The competition was inspired by the recent return of the original sa'ung – the iconic dome-shaped Kenyang Badeng sunhat – from the Pitt Rivers Museum in the United Kingdom. More than 15 weavers from Long Busang in Belaga, as well as Bintulu, Miri, and Kuching, took part in the event on May 31. Participants were challenged to recreate the sa'ung using traditional techniques and materials, with some opting to incorporate contemporary elements such as varnished finishes, prompting discussions on the balance between innovation and authenticity. Epa Erang took home first prize and title of inaugural champion, ahead of Aria Gong and Monica Sedai Uchat who secured second and third places respectively. Consolation prizes went to Rosalind Anek Olleh and Asa Anyan. A skilled artisan from Long Busang, Epa's sa'ung was crafted from bamboo using 'seling' – the smooth outer layer of bamboo. Judges commended her for the precision and authenticity of her work, which required skilled hands and meticulous preparation. The competition was held as part of the wider Kebana Festival, which aims to promote Kenyah culture and strengthen indigenous identity through arts, crafts and community-driven events. Kebana Festival Kenyah Badeng miri Sa'ung Weaving Competition
Express Tribune
18-06-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Naga tribes push for repatriation in UK
Tribes from the Indian state of Nagaland have held talks at a museum in Britain to secure the return of ancestral remains taken during the colonial era and put on display for decades. Skulls and other body parts were often brought from Asia, Africa and elsewhere to Britain and to other former colonial powers, as "trophies", to be traded, displayed or studied. There are growing calls worldwide for such remains, as well as stolen art, to be returned to their communities as part of a centuries-old movement demanding reparations for colonialism and slavery. Just last month, skulls of 19 African Americans were returned to New Orleans from Germany to where they were sent for examination by phrenology – the now discredited belief that the shape and size of a head shows mental ability and character, especially when applied to different ethnic groups. Historians say some of the remains were taken by colonial officers from burial sites and battlefields in Nagaland, where for centuries headhunting was common practice. Others were looted in acts of violence. The Pitt Rivers Museum, which displays collections from Oxford University, holds the world's largest Naga collection, including thousands of artefacts, 41 human remains, primarily skulls, and 178 objects that contain or may contain human hair. It removed all remains from public display in 2020, including ancestors of Dolly Kikon, an anthropologist from Nagaland's Lotha-Naga tribe, who teaches at the University of California and who travelled to Oxford last week. "For the first time, there is a Naga delegation (at the museum) to connect and to reclaim our history, our culture and our belongings," Kikon, 49, told Reuters. Museum director Laura Van Broekhoven said the timing of the return of the remains was still uncertain due to the bureaucracy involved. The museum is also in talks with other groups to facilitate more items being returned. Reuters
AsiaOne
17-06-2025
- General
- AsiaOne
Indian tribes visit UK museum to bring home ancestors' remains, World News
OXFORD, England — Tribes from the Indian state of Nagaland have held talks at a museum in Britain to secure the return of ancestral remains taken during the colonial era and put on display for decades. Skulls and other body parts were often brought from Asia, Africa and elsewhere to Britain and to other former colonial powers, as "trophies", to be traded, displayed or studied. There are growing calls worldwide for such remains, as well as stolen art, to be returned to their communities as part of a centuries-old movement demanding reparations for colonialism and slavery. Just last month, skulls of 19 African Americans were returned to New Orleans from Germany to where they were sent for examination by phrenology — the now discredited belief that the shape and size of a head shows mental ability and character, especially when applied to different ethnic groups. Historians say some of the remains were taken by colonial officers from burial sites and battlefields in Nagaland, where for centuries headhunting was common practice. Others were looted in acts of violence. The Pitt Rivers Museum, which displays collections from Oxford University, holds the world's largest Naga collection, including thousands of artefacts, 41 human remains, primarily skulls, and 178 objects that contain or may contain human hair. It removed all remains from public display in 2020, including ancestors of Dolly Kikon, an anthropologist from Nagaland's Lotha-Naga tribe, who teaches at the University of California and who travelled to Oxford last week. "For the first time, there is a Naga delegation (at the museum) to connect and to reclaim our history, our culture and our belongings," Kikon, 49, told Reuters. Museum director Laura Van Broekhoven said the timing of the return of the remains was still uncertain due to the bureaucracy involved. The museum is also in talks with other groups to facilitate more items being returned. The 23 Naga representatives, including elders of several tribes, repeated calls by British lawmakers and campaigners for the government to legislate to protect ancestral remains. Some European countries, such as the Netherlands, have national policies for the repatriation of human remains. Opponents of reparations argue that contemporary states and institutions should not be held responsible for their past. Advocates say action is needed to address the legacies, such as systemic and structural racism. "One way to confront the colonial legacy is for indigenous people to be able to tell our own stories," Kikon said. [[nid:717024]]
The Star
16-06-2025
- General
- The Star
Indian tribes visit UK museum to bring home ancestors' remains
Naga artefacts on display at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, Britain, June 13, 2025. REUTERS/Marissa Davison OXFORD, England (Reuters) -Tribes from the Indian state of Nagaland have held talks at a museum in Britain to secure the return of ancestral remains taken during the colonial era and put on display for decades. Skulls and other body parts were often brought from Asia, Africa and elsewhere to Britain and to other former colonial powers, as "trophies", to be traded, displayed or studied. There are growing calls worldwide for such remains, as well as stolen art, to be returned to their communities as part of a centuries-old movement demanding reparations for colonialism and slavery. Just last month, skulls of 19 African Americans were returned to New Orleans from Germany to where they were sent for examination by phrenology - the now discredited belief that the shape and size of a head shows mental ability and character, especially when applied to different ethnic groups. Historians say some of the remains were taken by colonial officers from burial sites and battlefields in Nagaland, where for centuries headhunting was common practice. Others were looted in acts of violence. The Pitt Rivers Museum, which displays collections from Oxford University, holds the world's largest Naga collection, including thousands of artefacts, 41 human remains, primarily skulls, and 178 objects that contain or may contain human hair. It removed all remains from public display in 2020, including ancestors of Dolly Kikon, an anthropologist from Nagaland's Lotha-Naga tribe, who teaches at the University of California and who travelled to Oxford last week. "For the first time, there is a Naga delegation (at the museum) to connect and to reclaim our history, our culture and our belongings," Kikon, 49, told Reuters. Museum director Laura Van Broekhoven said the timing of the return of the remains was still uncertain due to the bureaucracy involved. The museum is also in talks with other groups to facilitate more items being returned. The 23 Naga representatives, including elders of several tribes, repeated calls by British lawmakers and campaigners for the government to legislate to protect ancestral remains. Some European countries, such as the Netherlands, have national policies for the repatriation of human remains. Opponents of reparations argue that contemporary states and institutions should not be held responsible for their past. Advocates say action is needed to address the legacies, such as systemic and structural racism. "One way to confront the colonial legacy is for indigenous people to be able to tell our own stories," Kikon said. (Reporting by Catarina Demony and Marissa Davison; Editing by Kate Holton and Alison Williams)
France 24
16-06-2025
- General
- France 24
🌟The Bright Side: Tribes from India visit UK museum to bring home ancestors' remains
Tribes from the Indian state of Nagaland have held talks at a museum in Britain to secure the return of ancestral remains taken during the colonial era and put on display for decades. Skulls and other body parts were often brought from Asia, Africa and elsewhere to Britain and to other former colonial powers, as "trophies", to be traded, displayed or studied. There are growing calls worldwide for such remains, as well as stolen art, to be returned to their communities as part of a centuries-old movement demanding reparations for colonialism and slavery. Just last month, skulls of 19 African Americans were returned to New Orleans from Germany to where they were sent for examination by phrenology – the now discredited belief that the shape and size of a head shows mental ability and character, especially when applied to different ethnic groups. Historians say some of the remains were taken by colonial officers from burial sites and battlefields in Nagaland, where for centuries headhunting was common practice. Others were looted in acts of violence. The Pitt Rivers Museum, which displays collections from Oxford University, holds the world's largest Naga collection, including thousands of artefacts, 41 human remains, primarily skulls, and 178 objects that contain or may contain human hair. It removed all remains from public display in 2020, including ancestors of Dolly Kikon, an anthropologist from Nagaland's Lotha-Naga tribe, who teaches at the University of California and who travelled to Oxford last week. "For the first time, there is a Naga delegation (at the museum) to connect and to reclaim our history, our culture and our belongings," Kikon, 49, told Reuters. Museum director Laura Van Broekhoven said the timing of the return of the remains was still uncertain due to the bureaucracy involved. The museum is also in talks with other groups to facilitate more items being returned. The 23 Naga representatives, including elders of several tribes, repeated calls by British lawmakers and campaigners for the government to legislate to protect ancestral remains. Some European countries, such as the Netherlands, have national policies for the repatriation of human remains. Opponents of reparations argue that contemporary states and institutions should not be held responsible for their past. Advocates say action is needed to address the legacies, such as systemic and structural racism. "One way to confront the colonial legacy is for indigenous people to be able to tell our own stories," Kikon said.
