Oxford return Maori remains (From Oxford Mail)

Oxford return Maori remains

8:34am Friday 1st February 2008 in News By Roots Rocker

Oxford University today agreed to return to New Zealand the indigenous human remains obtained by its natural history museum during the 19th century.

The four sets of remains include two Maori skulls, a Moriori skull from the Chatham Islands off New Zealand's east coast and a section of pelvis.

Efforts by New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa, to retrieve the bones began in 2005 as part of a government policy to seek the return of Maori and Moriori remains.

The director of Oxford's Museum of Natural History, Jim Kennedy, said yesterday this was the first repatriation of human remains since a new claims procedure was established by the university in 2006.

"It has enabled us to balance our duty of care for these items, the requirements of science and the sensitivities and beliefs of the claimant community," Prof Kennedy said.

Prof Kennedy said no date had immediately been set for the return of the remains which will be held temporarily by Te Papa before being returned to the relevant Maori and Moriori tribal groups.