The Wire

Today, a ceremony in Canberra marked the return of five Mer islanders and one unidentified Torres Strait islander to Australia from the United Kingdom. The remains of five people were taken from Mer Island, in the Torres Strait, over a century ago by Scottish Doctor Robert Bruce, who then returned to Scotland and gave them to the Glasgow Museum. The remains of one unidentified Torres Strait Islander was also separately taken to the UK ending up in the University College London. While Torres Strait Islanders will now meet to decide how these remains will be cared for, the issue of stolen Indigenous remains continues to cause concern for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This is because the remains of approximately 600 people are still being held in various museums in the UK. The chairperson of the Mer island community council, Ron Day, travelled to the UK to help bring back the remains of his ancestors and he told The Wire today that while he is relieved to have been able to bring home some of his island’s ancestors, many more are still yet to be returned.