Indigenous Australian Cultural Artefacts Repatriated from United Kingdom
A significant event is happening as ten culturally important Indigenous artefacts are being returned to Australia. This collection holds great cultural significance to the Warumungu Community in Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, and is coming back from The Horniman Museum and Gardens in London.
The handover ceremony by the Horniman in London on Sept. 12 marked this occasion where these ten artefacts, including a Wurtil, Ngurrulumuru, Marttans, Murkutu, Warnanja, Wartilykirri, and Jalkkaji, were officially returned. This formal request was initiated on May 3, 2023, and the Horniman acted in accordance with its Restitution and Repatriation Policy.
The Charity Commission endorsed the decision of the Horniman trustees on Feb. 7, 2024, acknowledging their moral obligation under the Charities Act 2011. Warumungu Elders Cliff Plummer Jabarula and William (Bill) Ah Kit Jakamarra attended the handover ceremony in London alongside representatives of AIATSIS and the Horniman Museum.
For now, these artefacts will be held at AIATSIS in Canberra until the Warumungu community is prepared to receive them back permanently at the Nyinkka Nyunyu Arts and Cultural Centre in Tennant Creek. Michael Jones Jampijinpa, a Senior Warumungu Elder expressed that this return signifies the importance of cultural heritage in truth-telling and healing for their community.
Michael Salter-Church, Chair of the Trustees at the Horniman Museum, emphasized the deep connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have with their heritage through these artefacts. Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Stephen Smith, affirmed that returning these objects to the Warumungu people is a crucial step given their profound significance to the community.
