Thu Sep 12 08:35:54 UTC 2024: ## Tennant Creek’s Stolen Heritage Returns Home
**London, Sept. 12, 2024:** A significant step towards reconciliation and cultural healing has been taken today as ten culturally significant Indigenous artefacts belonging to the Warumungu Community of Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, have been returned from the Horniman Museum and Gardens in London.
The artefacts, including a water carrier, pick, knives, sheath, axe, boomerangs, and a spear thrower, were formally handed over to representatives of the Warumungu community in a ceremony attended by Elders, Australian government officials, and dignitaries.
The return follows a formal request made by the Warumungu community in May 2023, which the Horniman Museum responded to in accordance with its Restitution and Repatriation Policy. The Charity Commission endorsed the decision, acknowledging the museum’s “moral obligation” to return the objects.
“Returning these artefacts to Warumungu Country is an acknowledgment of the importance of cultural heritage material to truth-telling and healing,” said Senior Warumungu Elder, Michael Jones Jampijinpa. “It’s about understanding our story as a nation.”
The artefacts will be temporarily housed at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (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.
“This is not just about bringing objects back to their rightful place,” stated Michael Salter-Church, Chair of the Horniman Museum Trustees. “It’s about acknowledging the deep, living connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have with their heritage.”
Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Stephen Smith, emphasized the significance of the return: “It’s the right thing to do because of the utmost importance these objects hold for the community.”
This repatriation marks a significant step in the ongoing process of addressing the historical wrongs of colonial practices and returning stolen cultural heritage to Indigenous communities.
First Piper 