Great Britain passed the 2004 Human Tissue Act on October 6, which compels British museums to return human remains less than 1000 years old to indigenous groups. This new law supersedes the British Museum Act of 1964, which forbade any claims indigenous groups had on the artifacts in nine national museums and institutions, including the Natural History Museum and the British Museum, Australia’s National Nine News reports. Under the Human Tissue Act, indigenous groups may file petitions to have artifacts returned. However, the petition must be weighed against the scientific usefulness of each individual piece.
There are an estimated 8,000 Australian Aboriginal remains abroad, mostly taken from the country during 19th century, according to SBS news. Australian Aboriginal groups have spent more than 20 years fighting for this legislation.
