Two Aboriginal Cultural Items Return to Tasmania After Decades
Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.
Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.
What do these affiliate links mean for us?
When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).
And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.
What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Add Impactful Ninja as a preferred source on Google or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!
📰 The quick summary: After 170 years, the remains of a young Aboriginal man and a rare shell necklace have been returned to Tasmania from UK universities, allowing proper burial and cultural repatriation.
📈 One key stat: A 148cm-long Aboriginal shell necklace has been returned after 27 years of repatriation requests, marking the first overseas return of a Tasmanian cultural item in over two decades.
💬 One key quote: “This repatriation is a crucial moment for our community. It acknowledges past injustices and allows us to bring our ancestor home to country, where his spirit will be set free as he is laid to rest in his traditional homelands,” the centre’s Nala Mansell said.
1️⃣ The big picture: Two significant Aboriginal cultural items have finally been returned to Tasmania from universities in the United Kingdom. The University of Aberdeen has returned the skull of a young Aboriginal man from the Big River tribe who was killed at Shannon River in the 1830s. Additionally, the University of Glasgow’s Hunterian Museum has returned a rare shell necklace made by an Aboriginal woman in the 1880s. These returns come after decades of advocacy by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, with the skull having been held in Scotland since the early 1850s and used for teaching purposes. The return of these items represents a major step forward in cultural repatriation efforts.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: Indigenous cultural heritage is being recognized and respected through the return of these significant items. The repatriation allows for proper cultural protocols and burial practices to be followed. The young man’s remains can finally rest in his traditional homeland, bringing peace to his spirit and the Aboriginal community. The successful return signals a positive shift in institutional attitudes, with previously reluctant organizations now willing to engage in repatriation discussions. This creates momentum for future returns of Aboriginal cultural items held in overseas collections.
3️⃣ What’s next: The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre plans to continue negotiating with other UK institutions for the return of additional remains and cultural items. The returned remains will be prepared for proper burial in traditional homelands according to Aboriginal customs. The shell necklace will be preserved and displayed appropriately to help maintain and share Aboriginal cultural heritage. These successful repatriations are expected to encourage more institutions to engage in similar returns.
Read the full story here: The Guardian – ‘Spirit will be set free’: remains of young Aboriginal man returned to Tasmania after 170 years in UK
