The handover took place on August 26, 2025, during a solemn ceremony at the French Ministry of Culture in Paris.
The skulls had been kept in a French museum for 128 years and were originally taken following a massacre carried out by French colonial forces in the late 19th century.
One of the remains is believed to belong to King Toera, a ruler from the Sakalava ethnic group, who was killed during the French military campaign in Madagascar in 1897.
Historical accounts indicate that French troops beheaded King Toera after suppressing resistance against colonial rule.
His skull, along with others taken from Malagasy people, was transported to France and stored in what is now the National Museum of Natural History in Paris.
For decades, the remains were kept as part of scientific and historical collections, a practice that many now see as deeply unethical and dehumanizing.
The skulls were among hundreds of human remains taken from Madagascar during France’s colonial era, often without consent and under violent circumstances.
During the ceremony, French Culture Minister Rachida Dati openly condemned how the remains were collected.
She acknowledged that the skulls entered French national collections through acts that violated human dignity and occurred in the context of colonial violence.
She described the return as part of France’s responsibility to confront its past honestly and to correct historical injustices where possible.
“These remains were not acquired in respectful or acceptable circumstances,” she said, adding that their continued presence in French museums could no longer be justified.
Officials from Madagascar described the moment as deeply emotional and symbolic.
Madagascar’s Minister of Culture, Volamiranty Donna Mara, said the return of the skulls marked a step toward healing wounds that had remained open for generations.
She explained that the taking of the remains was not only a physical loss, but also a spiritual and cultural one.
“For 128 years, this has been an open wound in the heart of our nation,” she said.
“These are not objects or museum items. They are a living connection between our present and our history.”
She emphasized that the remains will now receive a dignified burial in accordance with Malagasy cultural traditions.
The return of the skulls comes amid growing global pressure on former colonial powers to return cultural and human remains taken during imperial rule.
Across Africa and other parts of the world, countries are demanding the return of artifacts, artworks, and ancestral remains housed in European museums.
France has in recent years taken limited steps toward restitution, particularly involving African nations.
While campaigners welcome the return of the skulls, many argue that much more needs to be done.
Historians note that Madagascar alone has hundreds of cultural items still held in European institutions.
Cultural experts say the return of ancestral remains goes beyond symbolism.
They believe it helps communities reconnect with their history and confront the trauma left behind by colonial violence.
For many in Madagascar, the return of King Toera’s remains represents a long-delayed recognition of suffering endured by their ancestors.
“It is not about revenge,” said one cultural activist. “It is about dignity, memory, and respect.”
Madagascar’s government has announced plans to hold traditional ceremonies once the skulls arrive home, allowing descendants and community leaders to honor the dead properly.
Meanwhile, calls are growing for France and other former colonial powers to speed up the process of returning remaining artifacts and human remains.
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