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Aboriginal Delegation in London

27 August 1997 - At 5.00am this morning the Nyoongar Aboriginal delegation from Perth arrived in Britain to collect the spiritual remains of the Nyoongar ancestor, Yagan, recently exhumed from a Liverpool cemetery.

The delegation, which has the full support of the Western Australian State Government, consists of Robert Bropho elder of the Swan Valley Nyoongar Community, Richard Wilkes elder of the Darbarlyung Nyoongar of the Swan River, Mingli Wanjurri-Nungala, who believes its important for women to be present to represent mother earth who awaits Yagan's return, and Ken Colbung, elder of the Nyoongar Bibbulman tribal group - who recently campaigned in the UK to secure the exhumation of Yagan's remains.

The delegation feels betrayed by the Federal Government's sudden and unexplained withdrawal of its support and its new stance which apparently seeks to hinder the return of Yagan to Australia. The delegation, acting on behalf of the Nyoongar people, is adamant that Yagan must return to Australia to be given burial ceremony according to Nyoongar tradition and is in the UK to ensure that this takes place. "We know that we have strong support from the Aboriginal and wider Australian community for our spiritually important quest to regain the spiritual embodiment of our Nyoongar ancestor, Yagan."

Mr Bropho, who recently attended a world indigenous spiritual conference in Auckland, New Zealand, calls upon "all other spiritual elders to join us in our internationally significant task."

As a first step in completing their quest, the delegation is to meet with the Australian High Commission at 9.30am tomorrow morning (28.8.1997). The delegation will be available for comment after this meeting outside Australia House, The Strand.

Source: FAIRA

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