The skull of King Toera, a Malagasy monarch killed by French troops during a colonial conflict, has been officially returned to Madagascar. This handover occurred during a ceremony at the culture ministry in Paris, which also included the remains of two other members of his court. The skulls had been in France since the late 19th century, stored at the Museum of Natural History.
This event marks the first application of a new French law designed to simplify the return of human remains from national collections. French Culture Minister Rachida Dati remarked at the ceremony that the entry of these skulls into French collections involved “circumstances that clearly violated human dignity and in a context of colonial violence.”
In August 1897, a French military campaign aimed at asserting control over the Menabé kingdom resulted in the massacre of the local forces. King Toera was killed, and his head was later sent to Paris, where it was archived. Following nearly 130 years of advocacy from the king’s descendants, as well as support from the Malagasy government, the return of the skull has been facilitated.
Madagascar’s Culture Minister Volamiranty Donna Mara highlighted the significance of this return, describing it as a “significant gesture.” She expressed that the absence of these remains had been a painful source of grief for the Malagasy people.
France has previously returned human remains from the colonial era, most notably the remains of Saartjie Baartman, known as the “Hottentot Venus,” which were returned in 2012. However, this recent return is the first to occur under the newly enacted law. The Museum of Natural History is reportedly home to over 20,000 human remains collected globally, ostensibly for scientific purposes.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy0qejppp7o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss