‘And the walls came tumbling down’
Abstract
This chapter considers aspects of the history of engagements between Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the National Museum of Australia in the area of repatriation. It considers the relationships that have evolved between four geographically and culturally distinctive groups, the Ngarrindjeri of South Australia, the peoples of north-western Australia, as represented by the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre, the people of the Torres Strait, and the National Museum itself. Through engagements often initiated through repatriation advocacy, barriers to honest, transparent, and mutually respectful engagements have collapsed, producing new directions in museum practice and philosophy. However, these relationships can only be maintained through museums adhering to their commitments.