France has taken a historic step and returned three human skulls to Madagascar, one of which is believed to be of King Toera of the Sakalava community. King Toera was killed by the French army in 1897 and his head was cut off and taken to Paris. These remains were stored in a museum in Paris for the last 128 years.
In August 1897, France attacked the Menabe state in the west of Madagascar as part of its imperial expansion. During this, there was a massive massacre in the Sakalava region. After killing King Toera, his head was cut off and taken to Paris, where it was kept as a colonial ‘trophy’ in the Natural History Museum.
Along with the skull of King Toera, the skulls of two other members of the Sakalava community have also been returned. All three skulls were wrapped in traditional Madagascar cloth and sent in closed boxes. This return was made possible due to the long efforts of the people and government of Madagascar as well as the new law made by France in 2023, which simplifies the return of human remains.
This initiative is part of France’s slow but extensive process, under which human remains brought during the colonial period are being returned to their countries. It started with the return of Sarah Baartman’s remains to South Africa in 2002. Currently, France’s Musée de l’Ome Museum has more than 30,000 biological specimens, many of which are skulls. Now countries like Argentina and Australia are also demanding the remains of their ancestors.
The Madagascar government has planned a dignified funeral for these skulls, for which a special program will be organized.
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