My name is Phil Gordon from the Australian Museum, I'm manager of Indigenous projects there.
The Aboriginal Advisory Committee on Repatriation which I'm co-chair of
plays an important role in the the overseeing and of the
National Repatriation Policy which is a policy that aims at returning ancestors
and secret sacred objects to communities but also the international component of
that. The bringing back of ancestors from overseas museums.
I'm Chrissie Grant and I have my own consultancy and it's across
Indigenous land, heritage and environment issues. Taking into account all those
associated areas that are connected and interrelated. It's really useful for for us to understand
exactly what the Department is doing and conducting under the
Indigenous Repatriation Program and so it's important for us to be able to give them
that sounding board and act as a sounding board for them around
Indigenous engagement, Indigenous consultation ensuring that all of it has
done according to the best practice standards that is around at the moment.
Now I think to bring the remains back and have an Indigenous Repatriation Program
is just fulfilling the community and making them whole again.
Part of what's missing from their community are their ancestors
in some cases that have been taken overseas or held in museums here in
Australia and I think you know sort of the thrust behind all of that is just
fulfilling the community's cultural obligations. You know sort of social and
you know weaving their cultural you know sort of outcomes into having them
returned back to their lands.
Repatriating ancestors, ancestral remains to communities is important for
the ancestor in the past and it helps their spirit gain peace but also for the land
itself which is longing for that ancestor to be returned and that the land
itself it will be at peace then. And the the repatriation of objects sacred objects
is a way of maintaining cultural connection to the objects and
maintaining culture. For the communities the return of ancestor remains is
an alien concept because once ancestors were interned in the land or they
weren't they weren't taken away so the communities themselves have to come
through think through the repercussions of that. What ceremony may need to be
undertaken, where do you rebury the ancestor, how do you make sure the answer
is not disturbed and some sometimes these can take years for the community
to discuss amongst itself and to come up with a solution.
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