Larrakia people have welcomed the official return of 11 sacred artefacts from the Fowler Museum at UCLA in Los Angeles.
A special ceremony yesterday marked the return of Indigenous cultural heritage to its rightful home.
The repatriated items, which include ten glass spearheads and a kangaroo tooth headband once worn by a revered Elder, are of deep cultural and spiritual significance to the Larrakia people.
For many Larrakia people, the return of these artefacts is not just a matter of physical restitution, but a profound step toward healing, identity, and cultural revitalisation.
“Today is an important milestone for the revitalisation and maintenance of Larrakia culture, now and for future generations, as we accept these culturally significant artefacts back to the rightful custodianship of Larrakia people,” said Mark Motlop, Larrakia Elder and chairperson of the Larrakia Development Corporation.
“It has been a long and emotional journey for Larrakia people in the repatriation of these items back to Larrakia Country and one that will facilitate healing and the intergenerational transfer of knowledge.
“Once back on Larrakia Country, in Darwin Australia, these items will be displayed at Larrakia Cultural Centre, opening in mid-2026.”
The return is the result of a dedicated collaboration between Larrakia Elders, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), and the Fowler Museum, which began in 2021.
The museum had held the items for generations after they were collected in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
The official ceremony brought together representatives from both sides of the Pacific, including Larrakia Elders Tina Baum and Darryn Wilson; Tanya Bennett, Australia’s Consul-General in Los Angeles; Silvia Forni, director of the Fowler Museum; and Dylan Daniel-Marsh, acting executive director of AIATSIS’ partnerships and engagement group.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy praised the return as an important cultural moment.
“Safeguarding our Indigenous cultural heritage is vital to the continuation of Australia’s rich and diverse First Nations cultures and ensures the stories of our ancestors are passed on,” she said.
AIATSIS chief executive Leonard Hill echoed that sentiment.
“It is significant that these Larrakia treasures are returning from the Fowler Museum in the USA back to Larrakia Country,” he said.
“These events reinvigorate cultural connections and promote healing and reconciliation more broadly.”
The Fowler Museum reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to ethical stewardship and community-led cultural returns, stating that the repatriation of these objects reflects its responsibility to support truth-telling and reconciliation.
