Ancestral remains of 13 Aboriginal people who were once buried in caves around the Capes have been returned to their burial chambers.
Over the last few months, traditional custodian of the South West Wayne Webb has worked with the WA Museum and the Department of Parks and Wildlife to return the ancestral remains.
Mr Webb said the caves were significant because it was were Noongar people were buried so their spirits could travel out to the horizon which was their Karranup (heaven).
It has been a 30 year project for Mr Webb who has worked tirelessly to put Aboriginal artifacts and remains back where they belong and to have them protected.
He said there had been a problem returning the remains of one of the ancestors, Nargaroot to Walyanup, located at the river mouth in Wallcliffe, because the cave was still being accessed by tourist groups.
“We have put him very close to the cave but we cannot say where because people would go looking around,” he said.
“I am really concerned about that one, because all the others are protected and it is a significant place.”
Augusta Margaret River Shire director of instrastructure services Johan Louw said they had commissioned a survey to understand the importance of the Wallcliffe cave, which would inform recreational and commercial use of the site.
Mr Louw said while the shire could restrict people from entering land that it owned or managed, a decision on the cave would need to be determined by council.
He said the shire had commissioned a report to consider restricting public access.
“This will be finalised together with the other Aboriginal heritage reports in July or August and recommendations will be made to council,” he said.
Currently, the shire had signage in place and aimed to manage significant sites through its operations.
WA Musuem head of anthropology and archaeology Dr Moya Smith said it was a powerful moment to participate in returning the ancestral remains to their country home.
Dr Smith said fragmentary bones, such as single teeth, fragments of long bones, skulls and part of an upper skeleton were removed from the caves between 1909 and 1981.
“Since 1972, the museum had a separate restricted access area in which ancestral remains were cared for,” she said.
“Wadandi took carriage of the process of returning these ancestors.”
