Indigenous Remains Repatriated From Sweden

Indigenous Australian remains held by Sweden will be returned following a landmark handover at Lund University.

The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin, has commended Sweden for its positive cooperation with Australia’s international repatriation program.

“Australia applauds the Swedish Government for facilitating this return and earlier returns of Indigenous remains,” Ms Macklin said.

“We are also very grateful to Lund University authorities for assisting with this repatriation.”

Ms Macklin said the remains in question were definitely those of Indigenous Australians but there was insufficient information to link them to a particular community in Australia.

“I am pleased that these remains have been received by Mr Phil Gordon, an Aboriginal man from Queensland, who was part of the Australian delegation to Sweden,” she said.

She said the role of Indigenous people and traditional custom in the repatriation of Indigenous Australian human remains was very important.

“The Australian Government is currently negotiating the repatriation of Indigenous remains with a number of European countries and is providing funding for domestic and overseas repatriation programs,” Ms Macklin said.