Long Journey Home: Repatriation symposium

Local Ngunnawal elder, Jude Barlow, provides the Welcome to Country address followed by Mathew Trinca’s opening address. Welcome to Country is a traditional practice in which visitors are both welcomed and given permission to be on the traditional lands of local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people.

Neil Carter, Lui Ned David and Major Sumner share their histories and experiences, identifying regional differences and similarities in repatriation activities. They state the importance of helping and learning from each other in their work.

Edward Halealoha Ayau talks about the importance of appreciating the spiritual guidance of the ancestors in approaching the repatriation of remains. He discusses the importance of recognising Native Hawaiian cultural values in repatriation activities, and describes some of the positive and negative experiences he has encountered in dealing with collecting institutions.

Elders of the Ainu of Hokkaido in northern Japan, Yuji Shimizu and Tsuguo Kuzuno describe the Ainu experience of having ancestral remains stolen and their fight to have them returned.

Amber Aranui discusses the potential for conflict between Maori cultural values and practices and those of Western systems. Aranui describes the emotional experiences for Maori in pursuing the return of ancestral remains and cultural objects.

Paul Tapsell describes the importance of understanding cultural beliefs and practices in attitudes towards ancestral remains. Repatriation reflects a responsibility for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples to respect both the deceased and future generations.

The Long Journey Home: Repatriation symposium ends with a general discussion among the forum’s speakers.