A group of Kaurna ancestors, repatriated from the South Australian Museum, University of Adelaide, Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation and Edinburgh University, were reburied on Tuesday.
A ceremony was held as they were buried at Kaurna's Wangayarta, a dedicated resting place for repatriated ancestors who were taken from Country in South Australia.
This is the fourth reburial ceremony to be held at Wangayarta, with more than 500 ancestors buried at the site since 2021.
"The biggest thing when you do these events, you know healing has started," Kaurna Elder Jeffrey Newchurch told AAP.
"It's silent, happening behind the scenes, where Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people are walking together, healing."
Repatriated Kaurna ancestors from the northern, western and eastern parts of Kaurna Country have been reburied since December 2021.
The latest ceremony, for ancestors from southern parts of Kaurna Country, is the last scheduled reburial at Wangayarta but more could occur if ancestors are located and repatriated from other cultural institutions in future.
"We have now reburied ancestors from the north, south, east and west of Kaurna Yerta - but this will not be the last reburial," Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation chair Mitzi Nam said.
"There are still ancestors here and overseas who must be brought home and laid to rest.
"We are deeply relieved that our old people's spirits can now reunite and rest peacefully."
Wangayarta is a collaboration between Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation, South Australian Museum, Adelaide Cemeteries and the South Australian government.
It has been designed by Kaurna community members who recognised their repatriated ancestors could never be returned to their original burial places, but they could be laid on Country.
South Australian Museum Aboriginal heritage and repatriation manager Anna Russo said it was critical for the museum to actively participate in reburial and repatriation processes, and to work with the community to right the wrongs of the past.
"Reburial and return to Country is something Aboriginal communities shouldn't have to do by themselves," she said.
"We need to be leaders here and we need to listen to the ambitions of the Kaurna community ... we're standing right beside them and stepping up to our responsibility and what we've done and trying to correct the hurt we've caused by the actions we took in colonial times."
South Australia's Aboriginal Affairs Minister Kyam Maher said the reburial was a significant moment for the Kaurna community.Â
"Wangayarta stands as a powerful testament to Kaurna strength, leadership and enduring connection to their land," he said.
13YARN 13 92 76
Lifeline 13 11 14
22°C