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The Hunterian at the University of Glasgow, in collaboration with the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Gayton McKenzie, through the implementing agencies, Iziko Museums of South Africa and the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), and in partnership with the Northern Cape Reburial Task Team, have jointly announced the repatriation of ancestral human remains from The Hunterian collection in Glasgow, Scotland, to South Africa. This milestone for South Africa has been enabled by the recently endorsed National Policy on Repatriation of Human Remains and Heritage Objects. The policy has created a structured framework for coordinated country-to-country repatriation and set the foundation for a more inclusive and state-led redress process. With this project coming to full circle is the first implementation of one of the policy mandates on the repatriation and restitution of human remains in foreign institutions such as Museums.

The Hunterian holds the partial remains of six individuals, two plaster face-casts and a soapstone smoking pipe excavated from a burial cairn. These were unethically exhumed between 1868 and 1924 and deposited with the University of Glasgow by alumni and other donors. The remains of five of these individuals, and the smoking-pipe, originate from the Northern Cape and are claimed by descendant members of the San, Nama, Griqua and Korana populations. The additional remains originate from the Western Cape and are of Khoi San origin. They were unethically excavated from within a cave and are probably considerably older than the other remains. The origin of the two face-casts is unknown, but they are thought to have been purchased in Edinburgh.

Based in South Africa, the Northern Cape Reburial Task Team represents the first indigenous Khoi and San communities (Nama, Griekwa, Korana and San/Bushman) impacted by the historical unethical displacement of ancestral remains. The Task team leaders are actively re-engaging and mobilising the above populations as a means of redressing the past and bringing healing to a people who suffered from colonial injustices. The ancestral human remains will be returned to South Africa early next week and transferred into the care of Iziko Museums of South Africa for reburial. A transfer agreement will be signed which will reinstate ownership of the remains to the northern cape reburial task team who represent the descendant communities of the Northern Cape.

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Gayton McKenzie, said:

“Today, we stand at a solemn crossroads of memory and justice—a moment to honour those whose stories were silenced by history, and to return them home with dignity. This reburial represents more than a physical return. It is an act of remembrance and respect, acknowledging the profound trauma caused and taking a step toward restoring the dignity of a people and providing respect for the dead that has been long-standing demand in the struggle for justice.”

A delegation from the Northern Cape Reburial Team, Iziko Museums of South Africa, the South African Heritage Resources Agency and the Department of Sports, Art and Culture (National and the Northern Cape Province) will travel to Glasgow to take the remains home to South Africa.

The handover will take place at a special ceremony at the University of Glasgow on Monday, 13 October 2025.

This repatriation will form part of the restoration of dignity to the communities affected and contribute to bringing closure to the trauma that resulted from numerous violations, such as unethical exhumations.

Ancestral human remains, predominantly of Khoi, San and other indigenous origins, were unethically collected during the late 19th and early 20th centuries by institutions in southern Africa and around the world. These remains were acquired without consent, often through illicit trade, unauthorised exhumation and grave robbing, to further race-based and pseudo-scientific research.

For over a century, they were held in institutions, including The Hunterian and Iziko Museums of South Africa, as a result of colonial and apartheid-era practices that treated them as objects of study and display. The Hunterian has acknowledged its colonial legacy and welcomes repatriation claims, prioritising the return of non-British human remains and culturally significant heritage items.

Professor Steph Scholten, Director of The Hunterian, said:

“The repatriation of the ancestral remains of six individuals from The Hunterian to South Africa is a small step towards addressing the historical injustices caused by unethical colonial-era practices. I am glad that we can continue to honour our commitment to work with affected communities in an equitable way, returning human remains and culturally significant items to their rightful communities with dignity and care.”

Led by Iziko Museums of South Africa, the reburial process has been guided by extensive consultation with affected communities and first indigenous Khoi and San leaders to ensure their voices remain central in decision-making. The reburial acknowledges the historical injustices of colonialism and apartheid, which led to the removal, desecration, and exploitation of the ancestors’ remains without consent or respect.

Mr Lennox Tukwayo, Chief Executive Office, Iziko Museums of South Africa said:

“This repatriation of Ancestral Human Remains is a significant and meaningful endeavour. It is an act of remembrance, respect, restorative justice and cultural preservation. The six individuals will form part of the restitution and reburial of fifty-eight individuals from the Iziko South African Museum, later this year.”

Collaboration between the communities of the Northern Cape, Iziko Museums of South Africa, the South African Heritage Resources Agency’s Repatriation and Restitution Office, the Department of Sports, Art and Culture (National and the Northern Cape Province) and The Hunterian has paved the way for the reburial.

Mr Petrus Vaalbooi, Cultural Custodian of the Northern Cape San and Bushmen, said:

“This long-overdue process marks a critical step toward healing, respect, and the restoration of dignity to our ancestors. The moment carries profound cultural and spiritual significance, as it allows for the return of our ancestors to the earth with honour — where traditional healing rituals and ceremonies may be observed in accordance with custom.

This reburial is not merely the return of physical remains; it is a symbolic act of reclaiming heritage, confronting historical injustices, and restoring the dignity of a people. It represents the reconnection of communities with their cultural and spiritual lineage, and the beginning of a healing journey that spans generations.”

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Further Information

For further information or images, contact:
Ellen Fenton, Head of Audience Experience and Engagement, The Hunterian
Eleni Stavrou, Communications and Audiences Coordinator, The Hunterian
Email: Hunterian-Comms@glasgow.ac.uk

For the Department of Sport Arts and Culture media enquiries:
Ms Stacey-Lee Khojane, Spokesperson: Office of the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture │Email: StaceyK@dsac.gov.za │ Cell: +27 77 608 7579

Ms Zimasa Velaphi, Head of Communication and Marketing: Department of Sport, Arts and Culture Email: ZimasaV@dsac.gov.za │ Cell: +27 72 172 8925

On behalf of the Office of the CEO, Iziko Museums of South Africa
Melody Kleinsmith, Marketing and Communications Manager, Iziko Museums of South Africa
Email: mkleinsmith@iziko.org.za | Cell: +27 73 1074955

On behalf of the office of the CEO, South African Heritage Resources Agency
Nokulunga Buthelezi, Stakeholder Liaison Officer, Repatriation and Restitution Office
Email: NButhelezi@sahra.org.za | Cell: +27 78 6052498

The Hunterian Statement on Repatriation
The Hunterian aims to be an ethical and accessible museum organisation that engages critically with its historic legacy for the benefit of all of its stakeholders and audiences.

As an integral part of the University of Glasgow, The Hunterian preserves and develops its collections for innovation and engagement, to create meaning, value and relevance with academic, museum and civic communities.

The Hunterian holds a number of objects, artefacts and belongings taken from other countries that have cultural significance. The Hunterian also cares for over 4,000 human remains which are held in the historic Anatomy and World Cultures collections. 108 of these are known to have been taken from Indigenous communities outside Europe.

As part of its aim to be an ethical institution, The Hunterian welcomes repatriation claims and prioritises the return of non-British human remains and culturally significant heritage items.

This commitment carries the responsibility to ensure that these are returned to their originating communities where possible, or to regional or national museums or governmental agencies.

Claims from individuals, groups and public bodies are welcome, especially claims which enable the return of cultural heritage to living communities.

Any repatriation processes are developed at a mutually agreeable and appropriate pace, determined by the claimant and The Hunterian.

Over the past few years, Hunterian staff have been working with communities from countries including Aotearoa (New Zealand), Australia, South Africa and Ireland.

Most recently, The Hunterian partnered with The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre on the repatriation of a rare shell necklace from The Hunterian collection to its home in Tasmania.

About The Hunterian
The oldest public museum in Scotland, with collections spanning arts, sciences and humanities, The Hunterian is at the forefront of university museums around the world. Since it opened at the University of Glasgow in 1807, The Hunterian has been an invaluable academic and community resource and in years to come, The Hunterian is committed to becoming a more meaningful place for more diverse audiences.

As a university gallery and museum, The Hunterian creates space for intellectual inquiry and a process of learning and experimentation. The Hunterian collection’s Enlightenment history made a repository of knowledge that materialises the problematic history of Western modernity and its fundamentally colonial and capitalist underpinnings. The founding collection came through the bequest of Dr William Hunter (1718-1783) and since The Hunterian opened at the University of Glasgow in 1807, the collections have been developed in ways that reflect our city’s deep relationship with empire, transatlantic slavery, colonialism and migration. 

The Hunterian cares for some of Scotland's finest collections that cover subjects as diverse as the history of medicine, zoology and art. The whole collection is ‘Recognised’ as nationally significant in Scotland and includes outstanding Roman artefacts from the Antonine Wall; vast natural and life science collections; scientific instruments used by James Watt, Joseph Lister and Lord Kelvin; one of the world’s greatest collections of coins and medals and objects and belongings brought to Glasgow from around the world during hundreds of years of trade, empire, exploitation and migration. 

The Hunterian is also home to one of the most distinguished public art collections in Scotland and features works by James McNeill Whistler, the Glasgow Boys and Scottish Colourists, the largest single holding of the work of artists Margaret MacDonald and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, along with The Mackintosh House, the reassembled interiors from their Glasgow home. The Hunterian has also developed an important collection of works by leading contemporary artists including Christine Borland, Lucy Skaer and Adam Pendleton.

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About Iziko Museums of South Africa (Iziko)
Iziko Museums of South Africa is a public entity of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and operates 12 national museums, the Planetarium and Digital Dome, the Social History Centre and three collection specific libraries in Cape Town, South Africa. The museums that make up Iziko have their own history and character, presenting extensive art, social and natural history collections that reflect our diverse African heritage. Iziko is a public entity and public benefit organisation that brings together these museums under a single governance and leadership structure.

Visit our webpage at www.iziko.org.za, join our online community on
Facebook (www.facebook.com/IzikoMuseums),
Instagram (@izikomuseumssa) or follow us on X (@Iziko_Museums)
for regular updates on events, news and new exhibitions.

First published: 14 October 2025