A handover ceremony was held at the Fowler Museum at the University of California, Los Angeles on Thursday 7 November.

First Nations Elder outdoors holding a feather in the foreground.
Ngarrindjeri Elder, Uncle Major (Moogy) Sumner AM at the handover ceremony of First Nations ancestors, hosted by the Fowler Museum at the University of California.

Fourteen First Nations ancestors are returning home from 4 Californian collecting institutions:

  • Three ancestors were returned from the Fowler Museum
  • Two ancestors from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
  • Five ancestors from the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology
  • Four ancestors from the Oakland Museum of California.

A Ngarrindjeri Elder, Uncle Major (Moogy) Sumner AM travelled from South Australia to receive the Ngarrindjeri Old Person and accompany them home.

'Bringing the ancestors home is healing for the whole community and land. The repatriation of ancestors is an important part of reconciliation,' Uncle Moogy Sumner said.

One ancestor was returned under stewardship of the Australian Government at the request of the Wamba Wemba community in Victoria.

The Australian Government will provide care for the remaining ancestors closer to home, until they can be returned to their Traditional Custodians and Country.

This repatriation brings the total number of ancestors returned home from overseas collecting institutions and private collectors to approximately 1,730.

Over the past 30 years, 160 First Nations ancestors have been returned from American collecting institutions and private holders.

Australia's National Cultural Policy Revive acknowledges the importance of respecting and promoting the rights of First Nations people to repatriate their ancestors and cultural heritage material.

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