The remains of six people will be repatriated from The Hunterian in Glasgow to South Africa, having been exhumed and taken to Scotland in the 19th and 20th Centuries.
The University of Glasgow holds the partial remains of six people which were taken from a burial cairn in the Northern Cape and five are claimed by descendant members of the San, Nama, Griqua and Korana populations.
The sixth set of remains originate from the Western Cape and are of Khoi San origin.
Led by Iziko Museums of South Africa, the reburial process has been guided by extensive consultation with affected communities and first indigenous Khoi and San leaders to ensure their voices remain central in decision-making. The reburial acknowledges the historical injustices of colonialism and apartheid, which led to the removal, desecration, and exploitation of the ancestors’ remains without consent or respect.
Mr Lennox Tukwayo, Chief Executive Office, Iziko Museums of South Africa said:
- “This repatriation of Ancestral Human Remains is a significant and meaningful endeavour. It is an act of remembrance, respect, restorative justice and cultural preservation. The six individuals will form part of the restitution and reburial of fifty-eight individuals from the Iziko South African Museum, later this year.”
Steph Scholten, director of The Hunterian, said:
- “The repatriation of the ancestral remains of six individuals from The Hunterian to South Africa is a small step towards addressing the historical injustices caused by unethical colonial-era practices.
- “I am glad that we can continue to honour our commitment to work with affected communities in an equitable way, returning human remains and culturally significant items to their rightful communities with dignity and care.”
