The head of a Malagasy king killed by French troops during a colonial war has been returned to Madagascar. The handover of King Toera's skull, along with those of two other members of his court, took place during a ceremony at the culture ministry in Paris. The bones were brought to France in the late 19th century and stored at the Museum of Natural History.
This represents the first application of a new French law intended to expedite the return of human remains from collections. French Culture Minister Rachida Dati remarked that these skulls had entered national collections under circumstances that violated human dignity amidst colonial violence.
King Toera was killed in 1897 when French forces sought to establish control over the Sakalava people in western Madagascar. Nearly 130 years later, the return was facilitated by pressure from the king's descendants and the Malagasy government.
While there is no DNA proof confirming the skull's identity as King Toera's, traditional methods were used to ascertain its authenticity. Madagascar's Culture Minister stated this return is a significant gesture, healing a long-standing wound for the nation.
France has returned human remains before, the most notable being the South African woman known as the Hottentot Venus, whose remains were repatriated in 2012. This latest return underscores France's attempt to address its colonial history and its implications on cultural artifacts.
