Larrakia cultural artefacts that were taken from the community during the late 19th and early 20th centuries have been returned to the Northern Territory from the Fowler Museum in the United States, the museum has said.

The museum sits on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, and its co-director Silvia Forni said that since 2021 the museum had collaborated with Larrakia elders and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, to locate, and facilitate the return of, culturally significant items that had been donated to the museum.

Larrakia Development Corporation chairperson Mark Motlop said the return of a kangaroo tooth headband and 10 glass spearheads marked a significant milestone in revitalising and preserving Larrakia culture, as they are being returned to the rightful custodianship of the Larrakia people.

“Once back on Larrakia country, in Darwin…these items will be displayed at Larrakia Cultural Centre, opening in mid-2026,” Mr Motlop said.

Ms Forni said it was the second time the Fowler Museum, in partnership with AIATSIS, had completed a cultural heritage return, having repatriated Warumungu cultural materials in July 2024.

She said museums play a vital role in acknowledging past wrongs and fostering meaningful cultural exchange, and the return of these objects reinforced the Fowler Museum’s dedication to ethical stewardship and deepened its partnerships with Indigenous communities.

“This repatriation is part of a growing global movement to return cultural heritage to its rightful custodians, ensuring that these materials can once again contribute to the cultural and spiritual practices of their communities,” Ms Forni said.

The Fowler Museum focuses on global arts and cultures, particularly from Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Indigenous Americas, and Ms Forni said the return of Larrakia cultural materials supported community identity, knowledge transfer, and healing from historical injustices.