German museum returns Māori ancestor remains to New Zealand

The Oldenburger Landesmuseum Natur und Mensch returned the remains of a Māori ancestor to New Zealand during a formal ceremony.

The museum held the remains of the indigenous person for 145 years after they arrived in Oldenburg in 1881 through a trade. Director Ursula Warnke stated that the museum is fulfilling a historical responsibility because human remains from colonial contexts were often moved to Europe without consent.

Representatives from New Zealand visited the museum in 2024 to request the return of the remains. Documentation showed the ancestor arrived in the German city in 1881, though museum officials have not yet identified the specific community the ancestor belonged to. Arapata Hakiwai from Museum Te Papa in Wellington said the return helps restore cultural and spiritual connections to ancestors who remain present for the Māori people.

Lower Saxony Culture Minister Falko Mohrs described the return as a way to address colonial injustices. The descendants of the Māori ancestor will now decide how the remains will be laid to rest.