Fowler Museum at UCLA returns 20 objects to Warumungu people of Australia
The Fowler Museum at the University of California, Los Angeles recently returned 20 objects to the Warumungu people of Australia’s Northern Territory. The handoff took place at an official ceremony attended by university officials, Warumungu elders, and Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies staff. The repatriated objects included a variety of items with significant cultural importance, such as a hooked boomerang, knives, sheaths, and wooden clubs. The Warumungu elders emphasized the importance of these objects in preserving their community’s ancestral knowledge.
The objects are set to be crated and sent to AIATSIS headquarters in Canberra before being transferred to the Nyinkka Nyunyu Arts and Culture Centre in Tennant Creek. AIATSIS, through its Return of Cultural Heritage program, has been working to repatriate Indigenous artefacts from institutions worldwide, with positive responses from institutions and communities alike. The Fowler Museum, as one of the first institutions to respond, has been actively working to address provenance issues in its collection.
The repatriation process is supported financially by the Australian government, easing the burden on museums. However, the process is slow and ongoing, with many more objects yet to be returned to their rightful communities. AIATSIS recognizes the importance of this work in preserving and honoring Indigenous cultures and histories.
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Elara Voss, graduated from the Royal College of Art in London with a Master’s in Fine Art. She specializes in contemporary sculpture and installation art, exploring themes of nature and human interaction. Elara’s works have been featured in several group exhibitions across Europe, and she is currently working on her first solo show.