First Nations ancestors welcomed home from London

Photo: Left to right - Smithy Wilson, Wuthathi Community Representative; Wayne Blair, Woppaburra Community Representative; Thomas Holden, Warrgamay community representative; Keron Murray, Wuthathi Community Representative. © Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.

Thirty-six Queensland ancestors have arrived home from the United Kingdom following a handover ceremony at the Natural History Museum in London. 

Four representatives from the Woppaburra, Wuthathi and Warrgamay communities travelled to London to attend the ceremony and accompany their ancestors home, while the Yadhaigana community met their ancestors on arrival to Brisbane. 

For Woppaburra community representative Wayne Blair, the return of one ancestor to his community in the Keppel Islands off the Capricorn Coast in Central Queensland has brought a sense of healing and reconciliation. 

“It is our cultural duty and responsibility to bring our ancestors home, to be reburied on Country, finally laid to rest, with dignity and finally at peace. Repatriation of our ancestors is an eternal flame, the eternal healing is both spiritual and physical, for our Elders and Community.”

Warrgamay community representative, Thomas Holden reflected on what repatriation means for community.

“…repatriation is about more than just bringing our ancestors home. It is about reaffirming our sovereignty, our rights, and our deep cultural and spiritual obligations to care for our people, even in death. It is about ensuring that our young people see the strength in our traditions, that they understand the significance of our burial grounds, and that they continue the work of protecting and respecting our ancestors.”

The repatriation included the return of:

• One ancestor to the Woppaburra Community
• One ancestor to the Warrgamay Community
• Two ancestors to the Wuthathi Community
• Two ancestors to the Yadhighana Community

The remaining 30 ancestors, also with provenance to Queensland, will be returned under Australian Government stewardship until their Traditional Custodians can be identified. 

The Australian Government has been supporting the return of ancestors from collecting institutions and private holders for over 30 years through the Indigenous Repatriation Program. 

With this repatriation, over 1,775 First Nations ancestors have been repatriated from across the world, including more than 1,300 ancestors from collecting institutions and private holdings in the United Kingdom.

Photo: Wayne Blair, Woppaburra Community Representative. © Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.

Photo: Thomas Holden, Warrgamay community representative. © Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.