Repatriation Project

Community Survey

The AAC is working with the South Australian Museum to potentially repatriate eight partial sets of human remains currently held at the museum in Adelaide. The remains were all uncovered on the Arabana Native Title area, near Oodnadatta and Marree, between 1880 and 1960 during road and railway construction, and are likely to be Arabana people.

The AAC will be undertaking community consultation about the repatriation project over the next 12 months. There is a brief report about the remains available to community members, as well as a detailed report for those who want more information, and a survey form for people to fill out so the AAC can better understand community opinion about repatriations - do you want to bring the remains home; where should they be repatriated; and how? The project will also be raised at community information sessions and the AGM.

Keep a look out for consultation opportunities around repatriation in the next year. There will be lots of opportunities to have your say. You can also contact Project Officer Neil Brougham on 0436 305 890 to get information and provide input into the project.

Complete our survey for the Repatriation Project below or visit Arabana House to fill them out.

AAC Repatriation Project – Community Input Survey

To Arabana Aboriginal Corporation Common Law Holder

RE: Potential repatriation of Arabana human remains

The South Australian Museum has eight partial sets of human remains recovered from Arabana wadlhu. Research conducted on the remains by Arabana community members suggests they are Arabana people. Five of the partial sets of remains were found within 10km of Oodnadatta, one at Lake Cadibarrawirracanna, one near Marree, and one on Muloorina Station. The bones were uncovered between 1900 and 1950 by

non-Arabana people who were working on country, for example during road and railway construction. Most of the sets of remains are likely precolonial in age. Most of the sets of remains consist of partial bone fragments only.

Since 2023, the museum has been working with the Arabana Aboriginal Corporation, the AAC Board, and a repatriation working group made up of Arabana nharla to discuss returning the skeletons to Arabana wadlhu for reburial. The Corporation, Board, and working group is seeking community input into repatriation and reburial of the remains. On the following page, you will find a series of questions relating to the project for your consideration. If you want to provide input into the project,

please fill out the questionnaire and place it in the box provided today or return the form to the Arabana Aboriginal Corporation office.

If you would like additional information and input into the project, contact AAC Project Officer Neil Brougham, n.brougham@arabana.com.au or 0436 305 890. Neil can record your input and provide the ‘South Australian Museum Indigenous Repatriation Program Stage One Archive Report’ that explains where the remains were found and describes

their condition.

Regards,

Bronwyn Dodd

AAC Board Chairperson

First name

Last name

Do you want 8 partial sets of human remains, collected on Arabana

country and held by the SA Museum, reburied on Arabana country?

Single choice

YES

Where do you want the remains reburied?

Multi choice