Cressida Fforde

Cressida Fforde is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Heritage and Museum Studies at The Australian National University (ANU). She holds a PhD from the University of Southampton (UK) and has dedicated her career to Indigenous repatriation, colonial history, and cultural heritage ethics. Her work bridges academic research with community-driven practices, focusing on the recovery and return of Indigenous human remains and challenging racialized scientific narratives.

• Education: PhD (University of Southampton, UK), BA (Hons) (University of Southampton, UK)
• Prior Roles: Deputy Director at ANU’s National Centre for Indigenous Studies (2011–2019), Coordinator at AIATSIS (2009–2011)

Her research explores how colonial-era scientific practices dehumanized Indigenous peoples and examines pathways for reconciliation through repatriation. Key interests include:

• Decolonizing museum collections
• Public archaeology and heritage communication
• Legacy of race science in contemporary discourse

Recent publications analyze the intersection of AI, emotion, and repatriation practices, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to ethical heritage management. She has led major projects such as the Heritage and Reconciliation initiative (2020–2025) and the search for Jandamarra (2021–2025), collaborating with Indigenous communities globally. Her work prioritizes community agency in defining heritage values and healing through restitution.

Current research includes applying neural networks to archival repatriation efforts and studying the role of ancestral remains in truth-telling processes in Timor-Leste. She actively supervises research students in repatriation studies and advocates for policy frameworks that center Indigenous sovereignty.