'Momentous Day' as Aboriginal Ancestors' Remains Repatriated in Arnhem Land

A historic repatriation ceremony has seen the remains of nine Aboriginal ancestors finally laid to rest in Arnhem Land, marking a significant step in healing the "wrongs of the past." The Yolŋu ancestors' remains were taken from the Northern Territory between 85 and 90 years ago by University of Melbourne anthropologist Donald Thomson.

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We need to show our young ones, so they know some of our ancestral heritage was taken away and stored on other people's country. We need to show the future generations our culture has remained, and we can bring our ancestors back through the same song cycles and ceremonies of our forefathers.

For decades, the remains were held in a collection in Victoria until new provenance research facilitated their connection back to their Arnhem Land communities. The Maḏarrpa clan hosted a ceremony at Bäniyala, by the waters of Blue Mud Bay, to mark the end of a years-long process to bring their ancestors home. The ashes were placed in traditional log coffins, known as larrakitj, and buried on a hilltop.

Maḏarrpa clan leader Djambawa Marawili described the day as momentous for the Yolŋu people, emphasizing the importance of showing younger generations that their ancestral heritage can be reclaimed through traditional song cycles and ceremonies. Melbourne University Laureate Professor Marcia Langton, a long-term advocate for repatriation, stated that the remains should never have been removed and had been held too far from their families and clans.

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The importance of returning ancestors and secret or sacred objects to clans and homelands cannot be underestimated. They should not have been taken in the first place and have been held for too long in the so-called care of institutions, too far away from their families and clans.

Interim vice-chancellor of Melbourne University, Glyn Davis, urged institutions globally to follow suit in returning sacred objects and ancestors. He acknowledged the profound responsibility universities and collecting institutions have in confronting the legacies of past collecting practices and committed to working with communities for the return of cultural heritage.

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The return of ancestors to country is a profound responsibility for universities and collecting institutions in Australia and worldwide. Universities are now confronting the legacies of collecting practices centuries ago. We will work with communities for as long as necessary so ancestors and cultural heritage material can be returned to the places, families and custodians where they belong.