Toera's homecoming: Madagascar's slain king joins his ancestors after 129 years

They have waited more than a century for this moment. Sakalava nobles walk towards the Tiribina, a river they hold sacred. Thank you very much. Strapped to their backs are the teeth and bone fragments of long-dead kings. This is the fitampu, the royal bath of the Sakalava of Menabe. Every few years, they are brought out and washed in the Tiribina river to honor the ancestors. But for 129 years, one relic was missing, the skull of King Tuera. Tuera was shot by French forces as they conquered the island. His skull came home in August 2025 under a new French law on returning human remains. For Georges Camam, Tuera's direct descendant It is a long-awaited vindication. This victory belongs to the Sakalava people. I say it proudly. We are proud of our ancestors, of our late king, and of how great this kingdom once was. . . Tuera stood up to the French invasion and paid with his life. . A French historian traced his skull to Paris, along with two other Sakalava skulls, and made their return possible. Some people pray to Jesus for strength. We turn to our ancestors. I want to give strength too. The arrival. I hope this brings the Sakalava back together, all the princes, all the small principalities. In place too. Without their king, the descendants say the ritual was never complete. Now it is. The fitanpoa brings blessings to everyone in Menabe. We receive our ancestors' blessing through the ceremony. Madagascar is the first country to recover remains under France's 2023 law. Others are expected to follow.