Professor Arkotong Longkumer's Inaugural Lecture

Professor Arkotong Longkumer (Professor of Anthropology and Modern Asia) delivers his Inaugural Lecture on 25 March, 5:15pm, Elizabeth Templeton Lecture Theatre, New College.

'Ancestors'

How do we care for ancestral human remains removed from where they belong?

Over the last few years, I have been involved with the Pitt Rivers Museum at the University of Oxford and with various Naga community members in the Northeast of India, engaging with precisely this question. The story takes us through the last hundred years, when Naga ancestors were taken from their homeland and brought to the UK to be displayed as ‘headhunters’ and ‘exotic peoples’ whose warrior culture and recalcitrance towards British colonialism gained notoriety. I ask how do human ancestors become cultural objects? Like Naga ancestors, I too migrated to the UK to study, marry and settle in this country. But my migration was by choice, unlike theirs. In a twist of fate, my academic journey coincides with theirs. I am now responsible for bringing them home to the Naga homeland. This journey of caring for the ancestors has brought about questions of ritual, revival of tradition, migration, and how we remember our past. At the crux of it are notions of sovereignty for Indigenous peoples, and their ability to articulate their histories with dignity, honour and care when confronted with violence and loss. It allows us to reflect on what it means to be human – that is to return to the earth or soil – and where life itself is an ever-regenerative movement. It reminds us of the need to weave through the textures of time, where memory, remembering, and the silences open new ways for generations to co-create a common future.

Please note, to ensure full attendance, we issue more tickets than there are seats available. Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, so please arrive early to secure your spot. We look forward to seeing you there!

We are committed to providing an accessible and inclusive attendee experience.

• Our venue is wheelchair accessible and includes an accessible restroom. We welcome requests for accommodations.
• In line with fire safety regulations attendees using a wheelchair must be able to self-transfer to an evac chair in order to safely evacuate the building.
• The following rooms in New College are equipped with a Hearing Loop system:
  Martin Hall, Elizabeth Templeton Lecture room, Althaus Reid room

If you have specific accessibility needs or accommodation requests please let us know during registration or contact us in advance by emailing [email protected]

Additional information can be found at Accessibility Information: New College

The event will take place at New College on the Mound. Please access via the main gated entrance.

New College is very accessible on foot, bike and bus. We would encourage all attendees to consider sustainable travel options to the event. Car parking is not available and limited only to nearby street parking:

Find parking bays – The City of Edinburgh Council

Further information on the venue and travel options can be found at

Travel Options

Info: Welcome and introduction by Prof. Jeremy Carrette, Head of the School of Divinity

Info: Inaugural Lecture by Prof. Arkotong Longkumer, Professor/(Personal) Chair of Anthropology and Modern Asia

Info: Drinks reception in the Rainy Hall

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