News Release:
World archaeology leader welcomes return of bones
| Date 7/11/03 No 198/03 The Australian archaeologist who heads the World Archaeological Congress (WAC) has welcomed a British Government report recommending that museums should hold human remains only if they have the consent of the dead person's descendants. "It's a great success not only for Aboriginal people but also for archaeologists working with Aboriginal people," said Dr Claire Smith, recently elected President of the WAC. "This recommendation is in line with the position of the WAC and the Australian Archaeological Association, which recognise the importance of this human heritage to the survival of Indigenous cultures." Dr Smith, an archaeology graduate of the University of New England (UNE) and a Senior Lecturer at Flinders University in South Australia, is the first woman President of the WAC, which was formed in 1995. She said of the WAC conference in Washington earlier this year, at which she was elected President: "One of the main aims of the WAC is to promote Indigenous control over Indigenous cultural heritage. This meeting of Congress was the first time scientists have banded together to support Indigenous people on the issue of respectful treatment of the mortal remains of their dead." The British Government report, prepared by the Human Remains Working
Group, also recommends that an independent panel be established
to adjudicate claims for the return of remains, when ownership of
those remains cannot be agreed upon. Dr Smith foresees the return
to Australia of many of the human remains held by the British Museum.
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She also believes that the British legislation will serve as a model for the repatriation of remains from museums around the world. "This repatriation will make a lot of work available for both Indigenous people and for archaeologists," she said. "The next step would be the repatriation of sacred objects," she continued. "Such objects (many of which are held by museums) can be essential for the continued wellbeing of a society. They have as potent a significance for their respective cultures as the Crown Jewels have for British culture." Claire Smith gained her Doctorate from UNE in 1996 with a study of Aboriginal art in the Northern Territory's Barunga community. Her post-doctoral research at UNE was a cross-cultural (and international) study of body art. Her book The Archaeologists' Field Handbook, written in collaboration with another UNE graduate, Dr Heather Burke, is due to be published in June 2004. She said the WAC was unique among archaeological associations in the diversity of people who attended its meetings. "At this year's meeting we had people from 75 countries," she explained, "and that does not include the diversity of views that are put forward by people from First Nations. Another thing special to the WAC is its commitment to social justice, and particularly to Indigenous issues. Media contact: Dr Claire Smith at Flinders University on (08) 8201 2336 or at home on (08) 8278 1934, or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE, Armidale (02) 6773 3049. |
