Aboriginal spears snatched by British in 1770 to return to Australia
Four spears taken from Australia by British explorer James Cook in 1770 were returned by Cambridge University to descendants of the indigenous community.
LONDON — Four spears taken from Australia by a British explorer more than 250 years ago will be returned by Cambridge University to descendants of the indigenous community that crafted them, in the latest high-profile repatriation of artifacts.
The four spears are all that remains of the 40 or so that James Cook and his team took from the Gweagal people on their arrival in Australia in 1770 when they became the first known Europeans to reach the country’s east coast.
Indigenous people from across the globe have battled for years to recover works pillaged by explorers and colonizers, and they are finally receiving some of the treasures back at a time when Western institutions are grappling with the cultural legacies of empire.
Benin Bronzes have been returned to Nigeria by German and British organizations, while the Netherlands has handed back precious stones, silver, and gold jewelry to its former Asian colonies, Sri Lanka and Bali.
The Gweagal people’s multi-pronged wooden spears have been part of the University of Cambridge’s collection since 1771 when they were presented to Trinity College, where they were returned in a ceremony on Tuesday.
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