France Returns Ancestral Skulls of 19th-Century Malagasy King and Generals to Madagascar, Marking a Historic Restitution
France has returned three skulls believed to be of Sakalava royalty and military leaders to Madagascar, marking the first implementation of a 2023 law allowing for the repatriation of human remains for funeral purposes.
The returned skulls include one presumed to be that of King Toera, who was executed by French troops in 1897 during the conquest of Sakalava kingdoms. The other two skulls belong to generals who fought alongside King Toera.
France colonized western Madagascar in the 1890s and integrated the Sakalava people into a new colony. After gaining independence from France in 1960, Madagascar has been seeking the return of its cultural heritage.
The skulls were housed in collections at France’s National Museum of Natural History before being formally handed over during a ceremony at the French Ministry of Culture on Tuesday.
Fetra Rakotondrasoava, permanent secretary of Madagascar’s Ministry of Culture, stated that the return of the skulls is not only a repatriation of human remains but also a restoration of a portion of Malagasy history and memory. He added that this moment holds significance for the Malagasy people and all nations working towards the restitution of their heritage.
Volamiranty Donna Mara, Madagascar’s Communication and Culture Minister, described the human remains as an “invisible and indelible” connection between past and present. The absence of these remains for over a century has been a wound in the heart of Madagascar, particularly for the Sakalava community of Menabe.
The skulls will be reburied in Menabe, in western Madagascar. French Culture Minister Rachida Dati called the ceremony a “historic event” between France and Madagascar, noting that it acknowledges the significance of King Toera’s figure for both the Malagasy people as a whole and the Sakalava community in particular.
In 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to return African cultural artifacts looted during the colonial era to Africa within the next five years. A similar push for restitution is currently underway in the United Kingdom.