In a community-led ceremony the Ancestor was laid to rest on Country after decades spent in Adelaide, in the custodianship of the University of Adelaide and South Australian Museum.

Warlpiri Project Elders said: “The Pikilyi Ancestor repatriation held at Yuendumu and on Country this week was so important for the Warlpiri nation. The Yuendumu community thank the South Australian Museum and all of the Yuendumu community organisations and Mt Doreen station for their support of the events.”

The Warlpiri Ancestor, thought to be a senior lawman, was originally buried in a traditional Warlpiri tree burial, known as Kantirirri, in a bloodwood tree prior to the establishment of Vaughan Springs Station by the Braitling family. Pikilyi (Vaughn Springs Station) is an important site for Warlpiri people, who have lived, hunted, and performed ceremony in the area for many generations.

The burial tree was felled during fencing works by the Braitling family between 1962 and 1965, which uncovered the Ancestor. Unbeknownst to Warlpiri community, the Ancestor was placed into a cardboard box erroneously labelled ‘Queen of the Walbiri’ and kept at the Yuendumu mission house for an unknown period. At some point, this box was passed by missionaries to staff from the University of Adelaide’s Dental School, who had been conducting a longitudinal dental study of Warlpiri people at Yuendumu from 1951-1971.

In 2018, the box containing the Warlpiri Ancestor was identified by South Australian Museum staff during an audit of the University’s collections. At the request of Warlpiri Elders the Ancestor was taken from the University and into the South Australian Museum’s care in 2021.

From 2021 further research was undertaken as part of the community-led Warlpiri Project, which works to repatriate Ancestors and sacred objects from institutional and private collections. In 2022, the ‘Queen of the Warlbiri’ was assessed to most likely be an older man, while oral history research conducted by Warlpiri man and South Australian Museum Warlpiri Repatriation Officer Jamie Jungarrayi Hampton shed more light on the original burial tree and its destruction.

Richard Logan, Dean and Head of School of Dentistry, University of Adelaide, said the University was very pleased to be working with the Warlpiri community to ensure the Ancestor is returned home.

“The Adelaide Dental School has had a long history of working with the Walpiri community dating back to the early 1950s involved in research led at different times by Professors Murray Barrett, Tasman Brown and Grant Townsend.

“The research that was undertaken was successful because of the mutual respect that existed between the community and the researchers. Over the years, however, practices that were not considered appropriate by today’s standards did occur and it was wrong that, in this case, the Ancestor’s remains were taken back to Adelaide in the 1960s without the permission of the community.”

Earlier this week, Warlpiri Elders, South Australian Museum staff, and the Head of the University’s Dental School, travelled with the Ancestor from the Museum’s Keeping Place to Mparntwe Alice Springs, before travelling on to Yuendumu. On 27 November the Warlpiri community came together to welcome the Ancestor home, before his final reburial this morning in a closed ceremony at a specially-designated site.

Jamie Jungarrayi Hampton said: “It’s an honour to help my community on this important project and event. I want to say thank you to my Elders for guiding me on this journey, and I’d like to thank the South Australian Museum for their support.”

Dr David Gaimster, South Australian Museum Chief Executive, said this reburial was the latest step in an important collaboration between the Warlpiri Project and the Museum. “The ongoing work of repatriation is an essential part of truth-telling and reconciliation for museums and institutions like the University. The community-led Warlpiri Project has been a great leader in these developments, and we are humbled to assist this Ancestor’s journey back to Country.”