Aboriginal elders in Arnhem Land say the ''spirits'' of dozens of their ancestors whose skeletal remains were stolen from burial grounds more than 60 years ago can now rest after being reburied in a traditional ceremony yesterday.
ABORIGINAL elders in Arnhem Land say the ''spirits'' of dozens of their ancestors whose skeletal remains were stolen from burial grounds more than 60 years ago can now rest after being reburied in a traditional ceremony yesterday.
''These people are now naked, healthy and free and can go back into the ground where they belong, back into their land and we can say goodbye,'' elder Jacob Nayinggul said after overseeing the massaging of the bones in red ochre as he talked to them in his clan language.
Later, standing at a mass grave, Mr Nayinggul said it was ''no bloody good for anyone'' that the bones were stolen by scientific researchers in 1948.
''We should live together, black and white with no mucking around, no stealing,'' he said.
The skeletal remains of more than 60 Aborigines, including children, were buried in two mass graves at a billabong in the shadow of Oenpelli Hill, near the community of Gunbalanya, 300 kilometres south-east of Darwin. Most of the bones were collected from Arnhem Land in 1948 in one of Australia's largest and most comprehensive expeditions, which was jointly organised with the United States.
The bones were taken to the United States where for 60 years they remained in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, a museum, educational and research institute that has more than 131 million items in its collection.
For a decade the Smithsonian refused to return the remains to Australia despite US laws that state the institution must not hold the remains of native Americans.
Australian National University historian Martin Thomas told The Age that as far as he has been able to establish, not one scientific paper was published about the remains, which were taken for supposedly scientific research.
''I think there was a real sense of trophy hunting about the way it went on in 1948,'' Dr Thomas said.
Mr Nayinggul, who was a boy when the bones were taken, asked Dr Thomas, who has been researching the 1948 expedition, to explain to white people the importance of returning the remains for his people.
''Living Aboriginal people find their navigational points on their country by knowing the dead are in certain places,'' Dr Thomas said.
''They talk to them, at times ? the spirits stay on country and are associated with the physical remains,'' he said.
''And the spirits are connected with the living.''
Before yesterday's burial the bones were smoked and wrapped in paperbark.
Experts who studied the bones estimate they are probably not more than 120 years old, meaning they could be the parents or grandparents of still living Aborigines.
Some of the bones buried yesterday were from a separate collection that had been held at the National Museum of Victoria (now Museum Victoria) for almost a century. They were sent to the museum from Arnhem Land in separate batches in 1913 and 1918.
The Australian government backed demands by Aboriginal elders and anthropologists for the Smithsonian Institution to return the remains to Arnhem Land. The Smithsonian at first agreed to send only two-thirds of the remains back. But it relented and agreed to return the remaining bones after a public plea by Aboriginal elder Thomas Amagula in 2009 at a symposium in Canberra.
''When I hear about the efforts and money the American government is spending trying to find and identify the remains of their soldiers who have been lost overseas, I wonder how the Smithsonian Institution can justify its refusal to return all the remains of our ancestors who were taken without our permission,'' Mr Amagula said at the time. ''We think this is very arrogant,'' he said.
Australia reached agreement with Britain in 2000 to facilitate repatriation of indigenous remains in British collections.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
What happened to the Aboriginal remains taken from Arnhem Land in 1948?
More than 60 Aboriginal skeletal remains were collected from Arnhem Land in 1948 during one of Australia’s largest expeditions, and many were taken to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Other remains from separate collections had been sent to the National Museum of Victoria in 1913 and 1918. After decades overseas, the remains were returned to Arnhem Land and reburied in a traditional ceremony.
Why do Aboriginal elders say the 'spirits' can now rest after the return of the bones?
Elders described the reburial and traditional care—such as massaging the bones with red ochre, smoking and wrapping them in paperbark, then burying them at a billabong near Oenpelli Hill—as restoring the rightful place of their ancestors. Historians cited in the article explain that living Aboriginal people locate navigational and cultural points by knowing where the dead lie, and the spirits stay connected to country and the living.
Which institutions held the remains and how long were they kept overseas?
Most of the bones were kept at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC for about 60 years. A separate set of remains had been held at the National Museum of Victoria (now Museum Victoria) for almost a century after being sent from Arnhem Land in 1913 and 1918.
Why did the Smithsonian initially refuse to return all the remains, and what changed?
For about a decade the Smithsonian refused to repatriate the remains despite U.S. laws about holding Native American remains. Initially it proposed returning only two‑thirds of the collection, but following a public plea by Aboriginal elder Thomas Amagula in 2009 and pressure from Australian elders, anthropologists and the Australian government, the Smithsonian agreed to return the remaining bones.
Who campaigned for the repatriation and what role did the Australian government play?
Aboriginal elders, anthropologists and historians campaigned for the return, with public advocacy from elders such as Thomas Amagula. The Australian government backed demands for repatriation, and its support helped secure agreements with overseas institutions, including pressuring the Smithsonian to send the remains back.
What cultural and historical significance do the returned remains have for the community?
Experts estimated many of the remains are likely no more than about 120 years old, meaning they could be the parents or grandparents of living Aborigines. Returning and reburying them restores cultural connections, helps maintain navigational and spiritual links to country, and addresses the trauma of ancestors being taken without permission.
How were the remains cared for before the reburial ceremony?
Before the burial ceremony the returned remains were treated according to traditional practices: they were smoked and wrapped in paperbark, and elders massaged bones in red ochre during the reburial ritual to honour and cleanse them before interment in mass graves.
Are there broader repatriation efforts mentioned in the article?
Yes. The article notes Australia reached an agreement with Britain in 2000 to facilitate repatriation of indigenous remains held in British collections, and the Smithsonian case reflects wider international efforts and legal considerations around returning indigenous remains to their communities.
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