Warumungu returns

‘Central Land Council and my Elders were working closely with AIATSIS, and we are so grateful that we got this really strong team that is driving this and people that understand our culture and the importance of objects, artifacts and our belongings.’

Mr Jimmy Frank Jupurrula, Warumungu Arrernte Man in Auckland, New Zealand.

Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collections

The first return project with Warumungu of restricted objects from Kluge-Ruhe began mid-2020. They were returned to the Warumungu keeping place, Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre, in Tennant Creek on 2 December 2021.

Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum

In March 2021 began talks between senior Warumungu men and the Tumu Here Iwi Relationships Manager and curatorial staff at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum on the future of four items. These resulted in a return with a handover ceremony on 14 November 2022 in Auckland.

'We've looked after these taonga like they are our own and we are proud to be returning them to the Warumungu people on this momentous day.'

Mr. Matua Bobby Newson, representative of the Tāmaki Makaurau Iwi (local people of Auckland).

Tūhura Otago Museum

The Senior Warumungu Men’s in-depth knowledge of their cultural heritage and their generosity to share the traditional names, techniques of making, and utility of these objects was an essential part of the formal requests for returns from the Auckland War Memorial Museum and Otago Museum. Four items were returned in a handover ceremony on 17 November 2022 in Dunedin. On request of the community all items returned from New Zealand are held at AIATSIS until the extension of the art centre in Tennant Creek is finalised.

‘The museums are respecting us and they’ve been thinking about us. They weren’t the ones who took them [the objects], they just ended up there. We can still teach the young people now about these old things and our culture.’

Mr Michael Jones, Senior Warumungu Elder.

Fowler Museum, University of California

Since March 2021 the RoCH team worked closely with Warumungu Elders and the Fowler Museum’s collection team to identify 20 objects of cultural importance to the Warumungu community. Representatives of the Gabrieleno/Tongva and Fernandeno Tataviam Band of Mission Indians welcomed a delegation of Warumungu Elders to country. On 24 July 2024, these items were handed over at a ceremony held at the Fowler Museum at UCLA.

‘Museums have the responsibility to facilitate connections and cultural exchange. The repatriation of ancestral objects is a crucial aspect of this process. By returning these items to their communities of origin, we honour their cultural significance and foster mutual respect.’

Silvia Forni, Shirley & Ralph Shapiro Director, Fowler Museum.

‘When I saw these old artefacts on Monday, I cried and felt spiritually connected to them. I felt those artefacts were happy because they knew that they are returning home. Hopefully it will give our young one’s inspiration to go back and learn more of our culture.’

Cliff Plummer Jabarula, Senior Warumungu Elder.

Horniman Museum and Gardens

Ten significant cultural items have been returned to the Warumungu community at a formal handover ceremony at the Horniman Museum and Gardens in London on 12 September 2024. This is the first return from a British public museum. The decision of the Horniman Trustees was endorsed by The Charity Commission, as the regulator of the charitable sector, on 7 February 2024, noting the Trustees’ ‘moral obligation’.

‘The return of these Warumungu cultural materials is not just about bringing objects back to their rightful place; it's about acknowledging the deep, living connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have with our heritage. This repatriation is a powerful act of truth-telling and a vital step towards healing and justice for the Warumungu people and all First Nations communities.’

Jody Broun, CEO, National Indigenous Australians Agency.