This has given the Mirning people of Western Australia their historic landmark victory. They have recently come to the end of their ancestral land being returned, and they have finally been able to bury the remains of eight ancestors on that land. This ceremony, long overdue, is the result of decades of diligent advocacy and effort. John Graham, a Mirning elder who has worked for decades to return his ancestors home. The return ceremony is a significant step toward healing for the Mirning community. It forces us to remember we can’t escape the painful history inherent in colonization.
Seven of the repatriated Mirning ancestors were removed from the Nullarbor region between 1900 and 1991. The eighth ancestor’s remains were never removed, though it is unclear when exactly this occurred. Graham and Ross Chadwick had to overcome many obstacles on their mission to safely return these men home. As the chief of anthropology and archaeology for the WA Museum, she fought hard to address past wrongs.
Mirning oral histories uncover a traumatic history steeped in brutality and death after colonization. This gave historian Peter Gifford a fascinating but horrifying lens through which to analyze a 140-year-old police report that outlined allegations of murders and poisonings. The 1881 report uncovered a shocking tragedy: two people had died from eating poisoned pudding at a pastoral station near the Nullarbor. This case illustrates the ongoing struggle faced by the Mirning people.
A Long Journey Home
John Graham, a revered Mirning elder, spent decades lobbying for the return of his ancestors. His intensity is matched by an abiding faith. He laments, “They should never have been taken out from there to begin with. Before he left, he told us how relieved and happy he was to see his ancestors finally coming home.
“Finally achieving something like that was a good feeling,” – John Graham.
The repatriation process involved detailed conversations with family, community, and institutional stakeholders, as well as careful and thorough investigation into historical records. Graham further impressed upon attendees the significance of this moment. Writer’s Note: He quipped, “In those days, whenever they found remains, they just took them and buried them in the museum.”
This recognition of past injustices has brought many in the community a measure of closure. The burial ground is a sacred place, the final resting place of our people. It serves as one of the strongest testimony to their legacy.
Community Gathering and Healing
Elders and members of the Mirning Nation convened at an Aboriginal corroboree site to welcome their ancestors back home. It was a heavy yet beautiful moment of remembrance, gratitude, and hope that addressed the need for continued healing. Family members and community leaders filled the room to tell their stories. They worked collaboratively to create a tribute for returning veterans of their home state.
Mirning woman and representative of the Apical Dick Stott family line Shilloh Peel spoke with us about her feelings on this historic occasion. Her parents were the founding applicants for native title claims in Western Australia. She expressed a deeply personal sense of attachment to her heritage as New Mexico during the centering ceremony.
“It’s an incredibly warm feeling of being home,” – Shilloh Peel.
Peel recalled the mood around the burial site, which “you could hear, feel, and see,” she said. Many in the Black community have dreamed of this long overdue sense of belonging. It drives their mission to make their communities whole and heard.
“They are home. They are at rest,” – Shilloh Peel.
Installation of a plaque to honor the ancestors is another milestone in this ongoing journey. The plaque commemorates their return and stands as a reminder to all of the strength that the Mirning people possess.
Looking Forward
For their descendants, the return of these ancestors is not simply a moment of closure. It represents a new chance for coming generations. For Shilloh Peel, this occasion represents restoration for her ancestors who have lived through generations apart from their indigenous country.
“They are sitting in the paradise of their own backyard,” – Shilloh Peel.
As the Mirning community, we’re still processing and celebrating this momentous occasion. They’re looking to strengthen cultural ties and arts scene and heritage for generations to come. The renewal of their ancestors emboldens them to continue this work, so that future generations are informed about their history, their journeys, and their experiences.
To us, this ceremony symbolizes a step forward together toward healing and reconciliation. It pays tribute to the wrongs committed in the past. Along the way, it creates a model for a future that enshrines and encourages reverence for Indigenous rights and culture.
