First Nations people with direct links to Australia's oldest human remains say they should have the ultimate voting rights to re-inter the skeleton, not the federal Environment Minister.
The Willandra Lake Region, near Ivanhoe in the far Central West, is home to Mungo Man's 42,000-year-old remains, the oldest in Australia and first recorded evidence of a ceremonial burying.
In 1974, Mungo Man's body was removed from the ancient burial site, along with more than 100 other Aboriginal graves.
In 2017, the body was returned to the region but has remained in the Lake Mungo visitor centre.
'Settler colonisation'
Last week Environment Minister Sussan Ley announced $250,000 to help manage the site and met Aboriginal leaders to discuss the re-burial of Mungo Man's remains.
Ms Ley will make the final decision on whether Mungo Man's remains will be re-buried based on a report prepared by Heritage NSW.
According to the National Native Title Tribunal, the majority of Lake Mungo falls within the Paakantyi people's land.
Paakantyi man Michael Young said Ms Ley having the final say was an example of settler colonialism.
"We have had that for 234 years and we are really over that side of it," he said.
"We want our people re-established in those areas so they can determine what is best for their country and their people."
Mr Young said Mungo Man should be moved to a "keeping place" in the National Park that would allow the celebration of Indigenous culture and heritage in the area.
Ms Ley also met with the Aboriginal Advisory Group (AAG), an advocacy organisation made up of representatives from the Paakantyi, Mutthi Mutthi, and Ngiyampaa mobs.
While the Paakantyi people are the main native title holders in Mungo National Park, parts of the area is recognised as Mutthi Mutti and Ngiyampaa land.
The group works with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to manage Mungo National Park, and has been pushing for the re-burial of Mungo Man's remains.
However, Mr Young, who is a former member of the AAG, said the group was impeding on the Paakantyi peoples native title rights and ignoring the wishes of the traditional owners.
"We need to give back to the families that were displaced out there and we really need to acknowledge those people."
The AAG was approached for comment by the ABC but declined the request.
Decision expected soon
According to Ms Ley, the report by Heritage NSW will be completed by the "middle of April at the latest" with a decision on the remains to be handed down soon after.
Mrs Ley said while she had met with local First Nations people, the decision would be based on a number of stakeholders.
Ms Ley said she would not reveal whether she supported the re-burial of Mungo Man, but appreciated the local community's concerns.
"I understand the frustration and disappointment that traditional owners are feeling right now," she said.
"The ancestral remains are still in a storeroom at the Mungo visitor centre and have not been re-buried sensitively."
