The Queensland state government has reached an agreement with the Museum of Vancouver to begin the process of repatriating a number of items back to communities across Queensland.
There are between six and 12 items to be returned, which include animal skins, message sticks, woomeras, a rainforest sword, fighting and throwing clubs and Secret and Sacred objects.
The items will initially be transferred to Queensland Museum where they will be cared for before they are returned home to communities.
The Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Leeanne Enoch, met with the Museum of Vancouver last year to discuss their proactive and progressive repatriation program and to seek support of the return of Queensland artefacts.
"Repatriation of Ancestral Remains, Secret Sacred objects and significant cultural heritage to Country and Community is a basic human right, and a crucial step on the truth telling, healing and reconciliation journey of Queensland," said the Quandamooka woman.
Building bridges for repatriation
Several other international museums are also in talks with the Queensland government to return sacred items including London's Natural History Museum and the Ethnological Museum of Berlin.
Ms Enoch said the Sheffield Museum in the UK had proactively reached out to begin the repatriation process.
Queensland Museum Director of First Nations, and Kabi Kabi and Wiradjuri woman Dr Bianca Beetson says that the repatriation of items from around the world is critical for reconciliation.
“Repatriation of Ancestral Remains, Secret Sacred objects and artefacts is increasingly seen as a critical step in the process of reconciliation with First Nations peoples around the world.
Many institutions are now addressing this process proactively and are leading by example in directly contacting the Queensland Museum. We welcome this approach.”
In the past three decades, the Queensland Museum has repatriated 200 Ancestral Remains and sacred items to communities to address its past wrongs in collecting them.
