Join us for an evening program exploring the research and community consultation that led to the return of culturally significant objects to the Larrakia community of Australia. The return was initiated by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), an independent Australian Government statutory authority that supports and facilitates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural resurgence. AIATSIS representatives Jay Kickett, Shaun Angeles Penangke, and Larrakia Custodians, Tina Baum, and Darryn Willson will discuss Larrakia history, community, repatriation, and cultural heritage.
The objects being voluntarily returned to the Larrakia community of the Northern Territory, including a kangaroo tooth headband and 10 glass spearheads that are of deep spiritual and cultural importance, will be cared for in accordance with the traditions and customs of the Larrakia peoples. Many of these items were collected during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and have remained outside their community for generations. Their return marks a significant step toward restoring cultural heritage to its rightful custodians.
Half of the objects arrived at the Fowler via the Wellcome Trust. Sir Henry Wellcome was a pharmaceutical entrepreneur and artifacts collector. After Wellcome’s death in 1936, the Wellcome Trust dispersed his holdings. The British Museum got the largest gift, while the Fowler Museum received 30,000 objects in 1965. The remaining objects were gifts from private collectors.
This program is in partnership with the Waystation Initiative at UCLA
The Waystation Initiative at UCLA is a groundbreaking endeavor that organizes and facilitates the voluntary return of international archaeological and ethnographic objects to their nations or communities of origin. The Waystation Initiative comprises a suite of programs and resources, including a certificate for UCLA graduate students, community engagement workshops, a broad stakeholder network, and the development and dissemination of new standards for the voluntary return of cultural objects. It also offers internship opportunities for highly qualified undergraduates.
