Australia’s oldest remains have been buried despite an 11-hour legal challenge, leaving traditional owners “outraged”.
Key points:
- The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment says more than 100 indigenous remains have been buried incorrectly
- The legal action filed earlier this week appeared to have delayed the re-entry proposal of Mungo Man, Mungo Lady and 106 other indigenous skeletons.
- A traditional owner says the result is outrageous and has called for an investigation
The 42,000-year-old remains of Mungo Man, Mungo Lady and 106 other indigenous skeletons, which were removed in the 1960s and 1970s without the permission of the traditional owners, were proposed to re-enter unmarked sites in the region. Willandra Lakes to the south. -West New South Wales.
A group of 18 elders representing the three indigenous groups in the area, the Mutthi Mutthi, Ngiyampaa and Barkandji-Paakantyi, filed a court order earlier this week to prevent burial.
A statement from the Federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment on Tuesday said the re-burial had been delayed until the incoming federal minister had evaluated the application.
However, the department said it had since been reported that the remains had been buried.
“It was the department’s expectation, based on communication with the NSW government, that the new burial would not occur,” the statement said.
“On May 24, the NSW government informed the department that Willandra’s ancestral remains had, in fact, been re-buried that day.”
Traditional owners are outraged that the remains have been buried. (ABC Central West: Hamish Cole)
Mutthi Mutthi man Jason Kelly said he was devastated by the decision.
“This is an outrage against our culture, our heritage, our history, our people,” he said.
“We want to know how this happened and who is responsible for this desecration.
“This is so disrespectful on all fronts and goes against the wishes of hundreds of past and present elders who have called for a culturally appropriate re-burial for our ancestors.”
Mutthi Mutthi’s man, Jason Kelly, has called for an investigation into how the remains were buried. (ABC Mildura: Richard Crabtree)
Kelly has asked NSW Environment Minister James Griffin to investigate how the funeral went.
“He has to find out what was the justification for moving forward with these secret burials in unknown places and why it was done by challenging our urgent court application,” Kelly said.
“We are asking the minister to tell us where the remains are buried now, so that we can provide Mungo Man and Mungo Lady with a culturally appropriate public monument in the country.”
Paakantyi’s man, Michael Young, said First Nations people across the country had not been respected for the action.
“We are still destroying our heritage at an alarming rate by organizations and now by government officials,” he said.
“It’s a slap in the face to native headlines.”
Young said those responsible should be responsible for the “destruction.”
“I think these people have committed a criminal act, a criminal act against the natives,” he said.
“You’re not in charge of destroying 42,000-year-old human remains. These people need to be prosecuted.”
A Heritage NSW spokesman said the removal of some of the remains from where they were stored is being investigated.
Posted 1 h 1 hours agoDmec. May 25, 2022 at 6:55 am, updated 15 min ago 15 minutes agoWednesday May 25, 2022 at 7:44 am