| | by admin | | posted on 27th May 2025 in Quakers in 100 Objects | | views 74 | |
The Naga Skull represents the connection between Quakers and India.
Among the thousands of objects taken from colonised peoples and held in British museums, a small collection of Naga ancestral remains in the Pitt Rivers Museum stands out for its spiritual and cultural significance. These human bones—primarily skulls—were taken from Nagaland, a region straddling India and Myanmar, during the British colonial period. For the Naga people, ancestors are not forgotten; their bones are sacred, and their disturbance is a matter of deep grief.
Over time, these remains became part of British ethnographic collections, with little concern for their origins or the desires of the communities they were taken from. But change has come—not only from within indigenous communities, but also from an unexpected source: Friends.
The Quaker connection to the Naga people has roots in peacebuilding. During the 1940s and 50s, British and Indian Quakers such as Horace Alexander and Marjorie Sykes became involved in efforts to mediate between the Indian government and the Naga independence movement. Though few in number, Friends were trusted by many Naga leaders for their neutrality, simplicity, and commitment to nonviolence.
In more recent years, Friends have become allies in the call for justice and restoration regarding ancestral remains. As concern grew about the presence of sacred bones in museum collections, Quakers in Britain joined with indigenous advocates and scholars to support their return.
A partnership between Quakers, anthropologists, museum staff, and Naga civil society organisations is now guiding the sensitive return of the remains. One key figure is anthropologist Dr. Dolly Kikon, who has written movingly about the cultural and emotional burden placed on communities when their dead are held far from home.
Quakers have provided support in both quiet and practical ways: helping to fund research, advocating within institutions, and standing beside those seeking justice. Their involvement reflects a deeply rooted belief in the worth of every person—living and dead—and the necessity of repair in the wake of historical violence.
The return of these remains is not just a logistical matter—it is a spiritual and communal process, involving rituals of reburial, community healing, and the recognition of wrongs done. It embodies the Quaker testimony to peace: not simply avoiding conflict, but actively building conditions of dignity and truth.
As Quakers in Britain have expressed:
“The peace testimony also means working for forgiveness and reconciliation and living in a sense of our shared humanity.â€Quakers in Britain
This return is a small but powerful act. It shows how historic harms can begin to be addressed with listening, humility, and shared humanity. The bones are going home. And in their journey, there is witness.
Quakers, also known as the Religious Society of Friends, first became active in India during the 19th century, primarily through British Friends engaged in education, medical work, and social reform. Among them were Friends from London Yearly Meeting and American Quaker missionaries, who established schools and hospitals, especially in regions like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Unlike many missionary groups of the time, Quakers emphasised respect for local cultures and languages, and focused more on service and example than on proselytising. Their work was particularly visible in rural healthcare and women's education, guided by the belief in that of God in everyone.
The most significant connection between Quakers and India came in the 20th century, through their friendship with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhi encountered Quaker values during his time in South Africa, where he met Quaker pacifists who influenced his thinking on nonviolence. Later, in India, he developed close ties with Friends who supported his campaigns for independence and social justice.
Horace Alexander, a British Friend, was a personal friend and advisor to Gandhi. He accompanied Gandhi to the Round Table Conferences in London and helped interpret Indian affairs to Western audiences. Gandhi is said to have appreciated Quaker simplicity, truthfulness, and their shared commitment to nonviolence, once remarking that "the Quakers have done in silence what others have talked of doing."
Quaker service in India did not end with independence. Friends have continued to support grassroots initiatives in peacebuilding, community development, and education. Institutions like Friends Rural Centre in Rasulia and Friends Girls School in Itarsi remain living witnesses to these values.
Today, Indian Friends are few in number but deeply rooted in their communities, and international Friends continue to walk alongside Indian partners in witness to peace, justice, and equality. The legacy of their relationship with Gandhi endures, as a shared vision of transformation through nonviolence and truth.