After more than a century housed in a Sydney museum, the sacred ancestral remains of 17 Rapa Nui people are finally returning home to Easter Island.

The remains, which include those of 17 community members and a sample of human hair, were originally removed from their sacred burial sites during a European naval expedition in 1882. They were purchased by the Australian Museum the following year, remaining in its massive collection of over 22 million specimens for 143 years.

A Solemn Farewell

On Wednesday, a formal farewell ceremony was held at the museum, filled with the emotional sounds of a Fijian farewell song, the ukulele, and a traditional ceremonial exchange. The Rapa Nui delegation signed custodian documents alongside museum officials, preparing for the long journey home across the Pacific, overseen by the Chilean government due to the island's status as a special territory of Chile.

Museum Director and Chief Executive Kim McKay delivered a heartfelt, unreserved apology during the ceremony, acknowledging the pain caused by past collecting practices.

"We acknowledge that our institution took part in the purchase of human remains—remains taken without consent from resting places that were never meant to be disturbed," McKay said, noting how colonial-era mindsets historically treated Indigenous ancestors as objects of study rather than people.

The Path to Healing

Laura McBride, a Wailwan woman and the museum's First Nations Director, spoke of the deep personal connection she felt toward the repatriation process.

"My own ancestors and objects were taken from Country, so I truly understand the tensions created from the legacy of past collecting practices," McBride shared. "I know how therapeutic it can be when new relationships are made that enable us to address the mistakes of the past and move towards healing."

The return of the remains was the result of a collaborative, two-year process led by the museum's Pasifika team and Rapa Nui descendants. Unlike the United States, where repatriation of Native American remains is legally mandated by federal law, Australian institutions rely on voluntary policies, ethical standards, and community-led agreements to return sacred items and remains.

'They Are Our Grandparents'

The Rapa Nui Council of Elders expressed deep gratitude to those who facilitated the return, praising the museum and the government for confronting their historical legacy.

Father Francisco Nahoe, the North American repatriation coordinator for the council, commended the decision to return the ancestors. "They are looking squarely into the face of that unflattering history and asking the practical question, 'How do we do what is right now?'" he said. "It is not easy to do that. But for your efforts, you have gained the respect of the Rapa Nui people."

Council President Uncle Carlos Paoa explained that the returned ancestors were once leaders and highly respected members of the island's 36 clans. He emphasized that the return represents far more than the movement of historical artifacts.

"Our ancestors are not just human remains. They are not objects," Paoa said through a translator. "They are our grandparents, our great-grandparents—our ancestors' caring, spiritual, protective energy."