WARNING: This article contains names and images of deceased persons.
Warlpiri artefacts have been returned to their community more than 50 years after they left their home at an official handover ceremony in Frankfurt, Germany, overnight.
In 1972, senior Warlpiri lore men Jimmy Jungarrayi Spencer and Banjo Jungarrayi Tex assisted researcher Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt while he was visiting Australia.
The two men generously provided Professor Eibl-Eibesfeldt, an Austrian human ethologist (someone who studies animal behaviour), with rare access to their community and Warlpiri customs and culture during his trip to Yuendumu.
On Thursday, the 24 culturally significant artefacts were handed over by Professor Eibl-Eibesfeldt's son, Dr Bernolf Eibl-Eibesfeldt, who had accompanied his father on his trip more than five decades ago.
In what was an intergenerational event, son of the late Banjo Jungarrayi Tex, Nelson Tex, watched via livestream in Yuendumu and said he looked forward to the artefacts being back home on Country.
"I think about these objects and am in shock," he said.
"The fact that my father’s objects are there in Germany and coming home.
"I want to follow in his footsteps and make sure my children do too.
"When these objects are brought back home, I want to be part of that and be able to share that with my children.
"I’m not going to stop teaching them."
Warlpiri Elders Warren Japanangka Williams and Ned Jampitjinpa Hargraves were among those who performed ahead of the handover and accepted the artefacts on behalf of their community.
"This day will be remembered, not just as a handover of objects but as a meaningful step in building understanding and respect between cultures," Mr Hargraves said.
The items included sacred men’s objects, everyday objects such as Karli (boomerangs), Wurlampi (knives), Pikirri (spear thrower) and Kurdiji (shields), and other traditional items.
Jimmy Jungarrayi Spencer and Banjo Jungarrayi Tex spent most of their lives helping and supporting researchers, anthropologists and others to preserve Warlpiri culture for future generations.
Jimmy Jungarrayi Spencer's guidance, in particular, made Professor Eibl-Eibesfeld's research in Yuendumu during the 1970s possible.
The culturally significant items will now be held at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide under the care of the Warlpiri Project before their transfer to a planned cultural centre in Yuendumu.
While at the South Australian Museum, Warlpiri Elders will engage with the materials to undertake further research.
The repatriation of the cultural heritage items is the result of two years' work by Warlpiri repatriation officer Jamie Jungarrayi Hampton, who said he was honoured to support his Elders by travelling to Germany for the return of the important objects.
"The really unique thing about this collection is we know the men who made these artefacts," he told AAP.
"There's a strong family connection to these objects and obviously the cultural importance.
"We still practise our culture, we still speak our language and do our ceremony so these artefacts are really important in preserving and continuing that."
The return was initiated by the Warlpiri Project with support from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), Dr Bernolf Eibl-Eibesfeldt, and the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt. Financial support was provided by the Yuendumu Granites Mine Affected Area Aboriginal Corporation.
Mr Hampton said the Warlpiri delegation would also bring copies of the films Prof Eibl-Eibesfeldt had taken back to Australia.
AIATSIS chief executive Leonard Hill said being able to facilitate community access to the film material is significant.
"For some communities, some of that material document practices, cultural practices, ceremony, things like that, that have not been undertaken for some time," he said.
