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Four Aboriginal spears that were taken to England by Captain James Cook much than 250 years agone were returned Tuesday to Australia's Indigenous community astatine a ceremonial successful Cambridge University.
The artifacts were each that stay of immoderate 40 spears that Cook and botanist Joseph Banks took successful April 1770, astatine nan clip of nan first interaction betwixt Cook's unit and nan Indigenous group of Kamay, aliases Botany Bay.
The spears were presented to Trinity College, Cambridge by John Montagu, nan 4th Earl of Sandwich nan pursuing year, on pinch different items from Cook’s voyage crossed nan Pacific. The spears person been held astatine nan university's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology since nan early 20th century.
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Their return, agreed past twelvemonth pursuing a run and a general repatriation request, was hailed arsenic a measurement toward reconciliation and a greater knowing of Britain and Australia's shared history.
Four Aboriginal spears that were brought to England by Captain James Cook much than 250 years agone and presented to Trinity College, person been returned to Australia's Indigenous organization during a ceremonial astatine Cambridge connected Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Cambridge University via AP)
Sally Davies, caput of Trinity College, said it was nan "right decision" to return nan spears and that nan institution was "committed to reviewing nan analyzable legacies of the British empire, not slightest successful our collections."
The spears were "exceptionally significant" because they were nan first artifacts collected by nan British from immoderate portion of Australia that remain, said Nicholas Thomas, head of Cambridge's archaeology museum.
"They bespeak nan beginnings of a history of misunderstanding and conflict," he said.
The Gujaga Foundation, which leads taste and investigation programs wrong nan La Perouse Aboriginal community, said nan artifacts' return marked a "momentous occasion."
"The spears were beautiful overmuch nan first constituent of European contact, peculiarly British interaction pinch Aboriginal Australia," said Ray Ingrey, nan foundation's director.
"Ultimately, they’ll beryllium put connected imperishable show for everyone to spell see, astatine nan very spot they were taken from 250 years ago," he added.
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The spears were taken by members of Cook’s expedition from an unoccupied Aboriginal campsite, according to nan National Museum of Australia’s website.
A diary introduction by Banks that nan website cited read: "(We) threw into nan location to them immoderate beads, ribbands, cloths &c. arsenic presents and went away. We nevertheless thought it nary improper measurement to return distant pinch america each nan lances (spears) which we could find astir nan houses, amounting successful number to forty aliases fifty."
Ingrey said nan spears were "undoubtedly taken without permission."
The spears will beryllium displayed astatine a caller visitant halfway to beryllium built astatine Kurnell, Kamay.
