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Tasmanian Aboriginal community outraged as remains of ancestors
returned without warning in brown paper bags
(HTM) Source
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* **In short:** Aboriginal remains were returned to the Tasmanian Ab
* The bones were found by members of the public in two separate inci
* **What's next?** The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre is calling for a
The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre says it is "horrified" after the
coroner's office dropped off human remains in brown paper bags without
warning to its reception.
The four evidence bags contained ancestral remains from two separate
coronial investigations.
In one bag was a bone identified through testing to be Aboriginal that
was found by a member of the public in a rock pool at Carlton Beach,
south-east of Hobart, in 2022.
The other three bags held bones found in 2016 at a remote location
near Low Rocky Point on the state's west coast.
A bag marked 'femur' that contained Aboriginal remains when it was
delivered to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre.(ABC News: Owain Stia-
James)
Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC) campaign manager Nala Mansell says
the state's handling of the remains demonstrates a "complete
disrespect and disregard" for First Nations people.
"A police officer has rocked up unannounced to the Tasmanian centre
with paper bags informing us that: 'Here's the bones of your
ancestors. I've been asked to drop them off to you,'" Ms Mansell said.
"We're at a loss as to how, after 220 years, the remains of Aboriginal
people in this state continue to be treated with the utmost disrespect
in a manner that we understand would not be OK if it was a non-
Aboriginal person."
Nala Mansell says the remains of Aboriginal people "continue to be
treated with the utmost disrespect". (ABC News: Owain Stia-James)
Ms Mansell said it was not the first time that ancestral remains had
been returned unceremoniously.
"We recently received remains that were part of the Crowther
collection in a chocolate box and a cigar box," she said.
"It's just horrific for all involved. It's horrific for the Aboriginal
community who have for hundreds of years had to deal with the remains
of Aboriginal people being sent over to international museums."
## Bones more than 1,000 years old
Radiocarbon dating showed the Carlton Beach bone to date from between
772 and 991 AD.(ABC News: Owain Stia-James)
The Carlton Beach bone was found in a weathered state from exposure to
the environment and was initially thought to be from a person who died
at least 10 years ago, but was later confirmed through radiocarbon
testing to date from between 772 and 991AD.
In a recently released coroner's report, forensic anthropologist Dr
Anne-Marie Williams said the bone's poor condition made it difficult
to identify, but was likely to be a left femur.
It is the second coronial report on uncovered Tasmanian Aboriginal
remains in recent weeks, with an investigation into human bones found
at the Shank on the state's west coast released a fortnight ago.
The coronial investigation was carried out by coroner Simon
Cooper.(ABC News: Luke Bowden)
A left and right femur, along with a right radius bone was found by a
fisherman north of Low Rocky Point in 2016.
The report said that the fisherman noticed the bones protruding from
the sandbank about 10 metres from the water. He removed them, and took
them to Kettering in Hobart's south, where he handed them to police.
An initial examination concluded the bones to be from at least 20
years ago and possibly up to 100 years ago. But in 2022, the remains
were sent to the national laboratory for further DNA testing where
radiocarbon dating indicated that the bones were pre-European, and
dated from between 772 and 890 AD.
The bones contained a type of DNA known as S haplogroup, which is
found only in Indigenous Australians.
## Aboriginal community 'shut out' from inquiry
Ms Mansell said the coroner's handling of the discoveries and the
prolonged time to inform the Aboriginal community was "racial
discrimination" and "a complete breach of the law".
She said the coroner had no jurisdiction to test the remains.
"The Coroner's Act of 1995 is a law that says if the coroner suspects
remain human remains may be Aboriginal, they need to contact the
Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre so that the Aboriginal community can have
some involvement in the process … and ensure that the human remains
are dealt with in a respectful manner," she said.
"Unfortunately, in this instance, we've found out over the weekend
through social media posts that some human remains were uncovered in
the Carlton Bluff area. No notification was made on behalf of the
coroner's office whatsoever with us.
"The Aboriginal community are shut out and we are at the whim of white
authorities.
"We are demanding that the attorney-general steps up and has a full
inquiry into the process of the coroner dealing with Aboriginal
remains."
## Government 'deeply disappointed' with 'insensitive treatment' of
remains
In a statement, a spokesperson said the government was "deeply
disappointed to hear the reports of insensitive treatment of
Aboriginal remains".
"We are committing to address the process for the treatment of
Aboriginal remains in our Aboriginal Engagement Guidelines."
The spokesperson said the attorney-general was seeking advice from the
Department of Justice over "the appropriateness of the existing
provisions of the Coroners Act".
Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff said the treatment of the remains was
as "outrage" and showed the "ongoing racism and colonisation that
occurs in Tasmania".
She said "sincere engagement" was needed by the coroner's office and
the state government to address the issue.
The Aboriginal community intends to hold private ceremonies for the
remains of their ancestors.
The coroner's office declined to comment.
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