Repatriation in the Kimberley: Practice, approach, and contextual history

Abstract

The Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre (KALACC) is the peak organisation for repatriation matters in the Kimberley region of north Western Australia. Along with many other responsibilities, it receives Ancestral Remains repatriated from domestic and overseas museums, cares for them in its Keeping Place, undertakes the complex consultation processes with communities across the Kimberley region, and supports and facilitates these communities to receive their Old People and return them to their traditional country. It has been heavily involved in repatriation matters since the early 2000s. Its work in repatriation is embedded in a broader cultural governance approach. This chapter takes an holistic approach in its exploration of the role of KALACC in repatriation, from detailed description of the processes involved, to the importance of repatriation archives both historical and contemporary, and provides a view of repatriation from a community development perspective. Show more