France Returns Malagasy King Toera’s Skull After 128 Years

France has formally returned the skulls of King Toera and two other members of his court to Madagascar, nearly 130 years after they were taken by French troops during a colonial-era massacre in 1897. The remains had been stored at the Museum of Natural History in Paris and were repatriated under a new 2023 French law designed to expedite the return of human remains held in national collections. Although DNA tests were inconclusive, the identification of King Toera's skull was confirmed by a traditional Sakalava spirit medium. French Culture Minister Rachida Dati acknowledged that the skulls had been acquired under circumstances violating human dignity and described the return as a historic gesture, while Madagascar's Culture Minister Volamiranty Donna Mara called it a significant and healing moment for her country. This restitution is part of France's broader efforts to reckon with its colonial past and follows similar returns of human remains and artifacts. The skulls are set to be buried in Madagascar, symbolizing a new era of cooperation between the two nations.