Återlämnande av mänskliga kvarlevor till Australien 2004 från samlingarna 1894.5, 1912.1 och 1916.3. Samlingarna utom 1894.5 kommer från Eric Mjöbergs första australienexpedition, 1910-1911, till västra Australien, området Kimberley. Sammantaget återlämnades mänskliga kvarlevor från 13 individer. Vid samma tillfälle återlämnades även två kranier från Statens Historiska museum med ursprung Queensland och New South Wales.
Australiensiska staten lämnade ett krav om återlämnande via deras ambassad i Sverige och förfrågan initierades efter medial uppmärksamhet i samband med publicering av Claes Hallgrens bok Två resenärer. Två bilder av australier. Eric Mjöbergs och Yngve Laurells vetenskapliga expeditioner 1910-1913. Innan återfärden tillbaka till Australien utfördes, på mottagarsidans initiativ, en rökceremoni i Etnografiska museets park.
Återlämnandet 2004 organiserades av The Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination tillhörande det statliga departementet Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous affairs. De i sin tur engagerade organisationen KALACC. KALACC var även involverade i återlämnandet 2007 tillsammans med den australiensiska staten.
En lista över 30 hemliga-heliga (secret/sacred) föremål eventuellt aktuella för återlämnande sammanställdes också i samband med ärendet, och fotografier och information delades. Kontakterna verkar ha avstannat och föremålen har inte utretts vidare eller återlämnats
De mänskliga kvarlevorna hade tagits från Australien av Eric Mjöberg under dennes expedition till Kimberley 1910-1911. Kraniet från samling 1895.5 var en gåva från Herbert Wahlberg, Sydney förmedlad av A.E. Nordenskiöld på 1890-talet.
Det är oklart hur många kvarlevor Mjöberg tog, och det är inte heller tydligt beskrivet hur många kvarlevor som återlämnades 2004. Det var åtminstone 13 kranier med i vissa fall tillhörande underkäkar, ett skelett och postkraniala element från tre samlingar: 1894.5, 1912.1 och 1916.3.
Kranier från Etnografiska museet, enligt Hallgren, C: Akerman, Kim. 2004. Interim report on aboriginal Australian human remains and secret-sacred material in the museum of Ethnography, National Museum of World Culture, Sweden, 2/5/ 2004 - 31/5/2004 Appendix 13
1 12.1 Kranium med underkäke, Kimberley (ej upptaget i generalkatalogen, oklart hur kopplingen gjorts till samling 1912.01 och Kimberley)
2 Laurell Samling 2A Kranium Nyikina, Kimberley, "Mount Andersson" (ej upptaget i generalkatalogen, kopplas till samling 1912.01 och Kimberley genom "Laurell")
3 Laurell Samling (1916.4.2) Cranium and lower jaw Nyikina, Kimberley
4 Laurell 1. (1916.4.1) Cranium and lower jaw Nyikina, Kimberley
5 Laurell 2. Cranium Ngarinyin, Kimberley
6 Laurel 3. Cranium and lower jaw Ngarinyin, Kimberley
7 1916.3.1 Cranium and lower jaw Nyikina, Kimberley
8 1916.3.2 Cranium Nyikina, Kimberley
9 1916.3.3 Cranium Walmjarri, Kimberley
10 1916.3.4 Cranium Walmjarri, Kimberley
11 1916.3.5 Cranium Walmjarri, Kimberley
12 1916.3.6 Cranium and lower jaw Nyikina, Kimberley
13 1894.5.1 Cranium Walmjarri, Kimberley
Kranier från Historiska museet
14 SHM191024 Cranium and lower jaw Urandangj, Queensland
15 SHM dnr 7100/93 Skull minus facial bones and maxillaries Bermagui, New South Wales / Camperdown, Victoria
Return of ancestral human remains to Australia in 2004 from the collections 1894.5, 1912.1 and 1916.3. The collections, except for 1894.5, originate from Eric Mjöberg's first Australian expedition, 1910-1911, to Western Australia, the Kimberley area. In total, ancestral human remains from 13 individuals were returned. At the same time, two skulls from the Statens Historiska Museum, originating in Queensland and New South Wales, were also returned.
The Australian government submitted a demand for return via their embassy in Sweden and the request was initiated after media attention in connection with the publication of Claes Hallgren's book Two travellers. Two pictures of Australians. Eric Mjöberg's and Yngve Laurell's scientific expeditions 1910-1913. Before the return to Australia, a smoke ceremony was performed, at the initiative of the recipient, in the Ethnographic Museum's park.
The return in 2004 was organised by the Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. They in turn engaged the organisation KALACC. KALACC was also involved in the 2007 return together with the Australian government.
A list of 30 secret/sacred objects potentially eligible for return was also compiled in connection with the case, and photographs and information were shared. Contact appears to have ceased and the objects have not been further investigated or returned
The human remains had been taken from Australia by Eric Mjöberg during his expedition to Kimberley in 1910-1911. The crania from the 1895.5 collection was a gift from Herbert Wahlberg, Sydney, given by A.E. Nordenskiöld to the museum in the 1890s.
It is unclear how many ancestral human remains Mjöberg took, and it is also not clearly described how many ancestral human remains were returned in 2004. There were at least 13 individuals based on the number of crania with, in some cases, associated lower jaws, a skeleton and postcranial elements from three collections: 1894.5, 1912.1 and 1916.3.
Crania from the Ethnographic Museum, according to Hallgren, C. Akerman, Kim. 2004. Interim report on aboriginal Australian human remains and secret-sacred material in the museum of Ethnography, National Museum of World Culture, Sweden, 2/5/ 2004 - 31/5/2004 Appendix 13
Contents of crate no. MTAB 04.43299 1/2
1 12.1 Cranium and lower jaw Kimberley
2 Laurell Samling 2A Cranium Nyikina, Kimberley
3 Laurell Samling (1916.4.2) Cranium and lower jaw Nyikina, Kimberley
4 Laurell 1. (1916.4.1) Cranium and lower jaw Nyikina, Kimberley
5 Laurell 2. Cranium Ngarinyin, Kimberley
6 Laurel 3. Cranium and lower jaw Ngarinyin, Kimberley
7 1916.3.1 Cranium and lower jaw Nyikina, Kimberley
8 1916.3.2 Cranium Nyikina, Kimberley
9 1916.3.3 Cranium Walmjarri, Kimberley
10 1916.3.4 Cranium Walmjarri, Kimberley
11 1916.3.5 Cranium Walmjarri, Kimberley
12 1916.3.6 Cranium and lower jaw Nyikina, Kimberley
13 1894.5.1 Cranium Walmjarri, Kimberley
14 SHM191024 Cranium and lower jaw Urandangj, Queensland
15 SHM dnr 7100/93 Skull minus facial bones and maxillaries Bermagui, New South Wales / Camperdown, Victoria
Contents of crate no. MTAB 04.43299 2/2
A Femur (weathered) and two conjoinable fragments. Box no. 1
B Left scapula Fragile (in 5 pieces). 1
C Right scapula Fragile (in 3 pieces). 2
D Right talus. 2
E 6 first phalanges (manus). 2
F 2 second phalanges (manus). 3
G Left conjoinable metacarpals — 2—4. 3
H Right conjoinable metacarpals — 1—4. 3
I Left metacarpal 2 3
J Right metacarpal 5 3
K Left metacarpal 5 3
L Left Hand conjoinable capitatum, hamatum, sphenoidum, lunatum, trapezium, pisiforme. (6 bones) 3
M Right Hand conjoinable capitatum, hamatum, sphenoidum, trapezium. (4 bones) 3
N Conjoinable left radius, left ulna and left humerus (3 bones) 4
O 1 left clavicle 4
P 1 right tibia (infant) 4
Q 1 right fibula 4
R 1 left humerus 4
S 1 right humerus plus fragment 5
T 1 costa (nr 12) 5
U 1 cartilago costae 6
V 1 piece of mummified skin 6
W Fragments of right costae (4 pieces) 6
X Fragments of left costae (3 pieces) 6
Y Fragments of costae (6 pieces) 6
Conjoinable elements of a single individual
1 Spinal Column 17 vertebrae 7
2 Pelvis (in 3 parts) 8
3 2 femurs (right and left) 9
4 2 tibia (right and left) 10
5 1 scapula 9
6 1 right humerus, 1 right ulna and 1 right radius 10
7 1 left ulna and 1 left radius (possibly same individual as nr 6) 11
8 Ribs (Right hand 1–9, Left hand 2–12) 12
9 1 sternum 12
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Important to know about the information in the online collection database