The major museums in Australia are in possession of some 150,000 items of Aboriginal cultural property. In addition these museums hold extensive collections of documents which include, in addition to written records, genealogies, films, photographs, recordings of language, songs and oral histories, of very personal and great value to us: records which will help us regain traditional knowledge, find family and even, for some of us, what tribe or tribes we are descended from and what country we can claim through our ancestors. Overseas museums such as the British Museum hold a large collection of our shields and many other objects including the precious regalia of my great grandfather Ye-i-nie.

The possession of cultural property by those who did not create it is seen as being the last vestige of colonialism. To deny us our cultural property is to deny us our right to reconstruct our cultures and traditions, to strengthen and develop our Aboriginal identities, and to make our contribution to Australian culture and to the world heritage on our own terms.

Bukal Bukal will be a local institute, as well as focusing on national and local heritage and civil rights history of our people. It will become for us an important resting place for many of our cultural materials and resources to educate many of our young people. It will be the leading Institute for Yidinji people and other nation groups to learn the ways of our people and the history of this country. It will be the space where we can share our cultural heritage on our terms as our gift to humanity and it will be the pride for all of us who identify as Yidinji and to all who identify as Australian.

Henrietta Marrie AM