The Ancestors were laid to rest on Country at a ceremony at Koonibba on Friday 7 July, with the Far West Coast Aboriginal Community and representatives of the South Australian Museum present for a culturally appropriate reburial ceremony, where the lives of the Ancestors were celebrated.
The reburial included the remains of eight people and three hair samples from two men, which were sent back to the West Coast in 2022.
These Ancestors were taken away from the West Coast of South Australia over a period of 95 years. Their remains and locks of hair were taken for many reasons, and without the consent of Aboriginal people. Some were discovered and handed in to police; others were found and reported by members of the public. Some were sent as far as London, while others were held in Perth, in the South Australian Museum and in Melbourne.
Basil Coleman, Chair of the Far West Coast Aboriginal Corporation, welcomed the return of these Ancestors.
“Any day when we bring our people back home is a significant day,” Mr Coleman said. “The community has been waiting for a day like this, when they can welcome them back and place them to rest.
“It has been a long process, and at the end of the day we’re celebrating their return back to Country.
"We as the descendants of these Ancestors, our Far West Coast Ancestors, have a cultural obligation, commitment, and responsibility to make sure they come home with dignity, and in a respectful way.”
Mr Coleman also recognised the combined efforts of the South Australian Museum, Department of the Premier of Cabinet, Koonibba Aboriginal community, Ceduna Aboriginal Corporation, and EyrePlus in organising the reburial.
“It’s the start of healing too. Repatriation is about restoring dignity and making right the wrongs of the past. We’re going to be celebrating tomorrow, bringing our Ancestors back to their rightful place.”
South Australian Museum Head of Humanities, John Carty, said this milestone was another important step in the Museum’s ongoing work to repatriate Aboriginal ancestral remains in its care and empower communities to return their people to Country.
“Reburying ancestors during NAIDOC week captures the spirit of the work being done by elders to not only return ancestors to Country for reburial, but to memorialise peoples’ lives and share the hard truths of historical attitudes towards Aboriginal people and the ancestors,” Mr Carty said.
For more information about Aboriginal heritage and repatriation, including past repatriation activities, visit SA Museum.
