A collection of artefacts culturally significant to the Warumungu Community of Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory is returning from The Horniman Museum and Gardens in London.
A formal handover ceremony by the Horniman took place on Sept. 12 in London to celebrate this occasion.
Ten culturally significant Indigenous artefacts will be returned.
The items include a Wurtil (water carrier), Ngurrulumuru (pick), Marttans (knives), Murkutu (sheath), Warnanja (axe), Wartilykirri (hooked “number seven” boomerangs, including one from the Horniman’s Handling Collection), and Jalkkaji (spear thrower).
The formal request for the Warumungu materials was received on May 3, 2023, and Horniman responded according to its Restitution and Repatriation Policy.
The Charity Commission endorsed the decision of the Horniman trustees, the regulator of the charitable sector, on Feb. 7, 2024, under s 106 of the Charities Act 2011, noting the trustees’ “moral obligation.”
The handover ceremony was attended by Warumungu Elders Cliff Plummer Jabarula and William (Bill) Ah Kit Jakamarra, who travelled to London from Australia for this occasion, and representatives of AIATSIS. Representatives from the Horniman Museum and many distinguished guests also attended.
The items will temporarily be held at AIATSIS in Canberra until the Warumungu community is ready to receive them.
They will then be permanently housed at the Nyinkka Nyunyu Arts and Cultural Centre in Tennant Creek.
Michael Jones Jampijinpa, Senior Warumungu Elder, said, “Returning these artefacts to Warumungu Country is an acknowledgment of the importance of cultural heritage material to truth-telling and healing, ultimately contributing to a deeper understanding of our story as a nation.”
He continued, “Because it’s been taken away from here, we would like to see all those things return to the area where they were collected.”
Michael Salter-Church, Chair of the Trustees at the Horniman Museum, said that returning these cultural materials is not just about bringing objects back to their rightful place; it is about acknowledging the deep, living connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have with their heritage.
Stephen Smith, Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, stressed that returning these objects to the Warumungu people is the right thing to do because of their utmost significance to the community.
