Provenancing Indigenous Human Remains for Repatriation

In Australia, DNA research has yet to be used for the purposes of repatriating Indigenous ancestral remains, but it is beginning to be discussed, particularly in relation to those remains with no, or little, provenance information available within archival sources. 

This presentation considers the use of "biological" markers of identity in repatriation to illuminate perceptions of Indigenous identity, the need for greater sophistication in research translation, and the implications (both real and potential) if greater understanding is not achieved and communicated.

 

Dr. Cressida Fforde is Deputy Director of the National Centre for Indigenous Studies at Australian National University. 

 

This talk was presented at the DNA and Indigeneity Public Symposium, held on Oct 22, 2015, at SFU Harbour Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia.