When the British colonised countries, they would take items from Indigenous peoples, including but not limited to cultural items and artefacts, which often end up in museums overseas. David Johnson writes, First Nations peoples here in so-called Australia have been working to have these objects returned. At the same time, Dr Shane Ingrey shares that the practice of making these objects continues today, because the knowledge to do so remains strong.
David Johnson: The story of our Spears:
For thousands of years, the Gweagal Spears have told a story. It is one of resilience, knowledge and pride.
On the 23 April 2024, I had the privilege of attending the Official Return Ceremony of my ancestors’ spears in the Wren Library, Trinity College Cambridge, as part of the Australian-UK Delegation. I was one of two Gweagal Clan members representing the La Perouse Aboriginal Community to bring the Gweagal Spears home.
It took decades for our people to get our spears back. The hard work started many generations ago, with senior women from my community leading the way.
My family taught me the story of our spears, and what happened on the day of 29 April 1770. They were taught by their old people, who were taught by our ancestors on the shore.
When the Endeavour approached the shores of Gundal (Kurnell), our old people wondered if the ship with its white sails was a low-lying cloud, bringing spirits back from the afterlife.
As they came closer, two Gweagal warriors started to oppose the landing on shore. They were gesturing for the crew to leave, yelling out ‘warra warra wai’. The British assumed this meant ‘go away’, but what we were actually saying was ‘they are all dead’. It was believed that our ancestors were returning as spirits. This story is entrenched in our dreaming. We interpret this event through a spiritual lens.
Still, the crew advanced closer to shore, so my old people threw stones trying to discourage the crew from continuing. In our culture you could not come on someone else’s territory without permission.
My ancestors had no choice but to throw their spears, just landing short. This was intentional to try and discourage further entry. They were skilled hunters, if they wanted to injure anyone, they could have done so with little worry. But this was seen as a threat, and the crew fired on my old people. They returned with shields but were heavily overwhelmed and retreated to safety.
The crew advanced into the old campground. In Dharawal culture contact with spirits from the afterlife was mostly avoided and to engage it would create a spiritual consequence. The crew found a small group of children hiding in shelter using a shield and a piece of bark.
It was at this moment that the crew of the Endeavour ‘thought it no improper measure’ to take away all of the spears around our camp. In total, they took around 40 to 50. The four spears received by myself and the La Perouse delegation are the only known spears to remain that were stolen.
The Gweagal Spears have had quite the journey since 1770. To us, they are not just objects, but tangible evidence of our way of living and doing. Our cultural practices did not stop in 1770, nor when the First Fleet arrived eight years later.
The La Perouse Aboriginal Community have continued to pass down cultural knowledge and practices. Men still make fishing spears, tools and canoes, and women continue the practice of weaving and crafting fishhooks. We are continuously guided by our senior Elders. It is our turn to pass on this knowledge in community.
Dr. Shane Ingrey: Continuing the Legacy:
The Gujaga Foundation is the La Perouse Aboriginal Community’s charitable arm, focusing on strengthening Dharawal Language and Culture within our community.
In 2024, the Gujaga Foundation partnered with the Centre of Excellence for Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH) on a remaking project, Wadgayinjang Nhay Nhaway. This project ran alongside the Australian Research Council-funded Mobilising Aboriginal Objects project led by Associate Professor Maria Nugent from the Australian National University, as well as the State Library of NSW exhibition Wadgayawa Nhay Dhadjan Wari , which means ‘they made them a long time ago’.
Eight Dharawal and La Perouse Aboriginal community members remade five of the objects that were on loan, the reed necklace, a workbox, a shell tipped woomera, a hafted stone axe, and a bark string bag. This was guided by my father, David Ingrey and Uncle Rod Mason. The rationale for undertaking the remaking project was to demonstrate that our Dharawal knowledge and resource-making are still strong within our community.
We hear the false narrative all the time that there were no Sydney Aboriginal people left, smallpox killed everyone, there are no Traditional Owners. But here we are – still thriving and still making our Dharawal objects.
With the spears returning and spear making still practiced in our community, we wanted to show that other Dharawal objects, some that haven’t been on Country for over 200 years, still hold value and importance to us. We wanted to dispel the myth they are no longer being made or that they are lost to time, which is the general perception when viewing them in a museum collection setting.
I enjoyed the whole process of the project. It wasn’t only about making exact replicas of the objects. It was about the shared journey of remaking – collecting resources, learning new techniques and processes from each other, working alongside family, talking to our knowledge holders, and just feeling how the whole process brought us all together.
Joint Statement:
The return of the Gweagal Spears marks a powerful moment of truth-telling and cultural resurgence for the La Perouse Aboriginal Community. These spears are not just artefacts of the past – they are living symbols of our resilience and enduring strength of Dharawal knowledge and practices. We want to acknowledge the tireless efforts of our old people, who have fought for generations to have our spears returned.
The retrieval of the spears, alongside our community’s ongoing revitalisation of language and other cultural objects, reaffirms that we are still here. We have always been here, on our Country and in our community. As a community, we carry our old peoples’ legacy by keeping our knowledge, stories and cultural practices alive for future generations.
The Gweagal Spears will be permanently housed at the new Kurnell Visitors Centre. We hope this return sends a clear message to overseas institutions that still hold our cultural objects – that they belong on Country, cared for by community and that we are ready to welcome more of them home.
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