Records show that the sunhat was taken during punitive expeditions in 1895 and 1896 targeting the indigenous Kenyah Badeng people, then referred to as ‘Madangs’. At this time, Sarawak, now part of Malaysia, was under Brooke rule, an independent monarchy led by successive members of the British Brooke family known as the ‘White Rajahs’.
It was acquired in 1923 by Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, although it has never been displayed.
- The museum’s director, Prof Dr Laura Van Broekhoven, said she was “pleased the sunhat will be returning home”, having been “so violently taken”.
- She said: “Given the history of parts of our collections and their entanglements in military violence and oppression, this work of redress is a crucial part of the work we want and need to do, as it helps to restore trust and understanding, and builds hope for a future of peace through partnership.”
The ceremony marked the transfer of ownership to the Kenyah Badeng Association, where it will be exhibited at the Borneo Cultures Museum in Kuching – Sarawak’s largest city.
In May 2023, the Sarawak museum had submitted an official request to the Pitt Rivers Museum to return the Kenyah Badeng sunhat.
