Australian Museum returns 18 Rapa Nui ancestral remains to Easter Island

The Australian Museum in Sydney has repatriated 18 ancestral remains – 17 skulls and a hair sample – to the Rapa Nui community on Easter Island. The remains, taken during an 1882 German naval expedition and held by the museum since 1883, were flown to Chile and handed over in a ceremony at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago before being taken to Rapa Nui.

Rapa Nui Council of Elders president Carlos Edmuns Paoa described the event as “a moment of profound emotion and justice,” emphasizing the cultural and spiritual significance for the islanders. Museum Director Laura McBride and Director‑CEO Kim McKay both expressed regret for the historic acquisition and highlighted the return as an act of moral responsibility. The repatriation is part of a wider effort by the Rapa Nui community to recover artifacts held in overseas collections, with calls also directed at the British Museum to return a moai statue.