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The boomerang that won’t come back?
Published: 22 August, 2008, 13:13
Edited: 25 September, 2009, 16:22
The boomerang that British explorer James Cook took from Australia more then three centuries ago should return to its place of origin, an Aboriginal leader said Friday. The iconic weapon is expected to fetch up to $US 113,000 at auction at Christie's.
I agree, Australia should NOT have to buy back artifacts STOLEN from their Native people. The British took so much from the Australian Aboriginals...most of all, they took their children. Check the movie "Rabbit proof fence" The Australian Government repeatedly apologized to them for the mistreatment they received, but have the British ever apologized??? Australia is one of the best countries in this world and regardless of what the British inflicted on the Natives, they are still beautiful people!
I agree with the comments shared so far. A stolen item, should be returned both for legal and moral reasons. As with many paintings and art work the Germans took during the Holocast. While it may be somewhat impractical to return all stolen items, integrity, honesty and logic should prevail... the boomerang should be returned to Australian and placed in a museum for many to view and admire. I do hope they do not have to pay for what is rightfully there's. Reminds me of the Brazilian boy and his Father who is trying to have him returned to the states...what kind of world do we "want to live in" surely not one that takes things that aren't there's!
Who said it was stolen. The time of yesteryears were not like today. were greed is so coming in those day Gifts were given as of friendship. and respect.
Hold on, if the Cook family had not keep this object it would be rott0n or dust now. Also,who said it was stolen, it may have been given in good will by the Aboriginals.
The british are well know for stealing things from countries they colonized and lied it was a gift. The stole a lot from Nigeria and other African countries. They have not stopped stealing n Africa in this centuries. They are the cause of most problems in africa. They should return the boomernag to Austilia wthether it was given as a gift as they always lie or not.
"Captain Cook was the first European to reach the southern continent when his ship, ‘Endeavour’, landed there in 1770." That's the most ridiculous, uninformed assertion I've read in a while. The Dutch and Portuguese were all over the northern coast of Australia from the 15th Century. Start your search with Dirk Hartog (1616) then move to Abel Tasman (Tasmania anyone?) who was there in 1637. Cook wasn't even the first Englishman, with a few pirates (William Dampier, 1699) and traders making their way around as well. Sydney? Yes, he was almost certainly the first. As to the artifact - there's no allegation that Lieutenant Cook (as he was then) stole anything from the indigenous Australians. So why should it be given "back" to a whole country, or even a race of people, when it's not clear from whence it came? It would certainly have belonged to an individual, who may well have made a gift of it to Cook. There is no basis for comparison to, say, the Elgin Marbles, which were certainly of cultural importance to Athenians en masse. That is, of collective cultural importance. To use a hypothetical English example, compare taking a firearm used by a infantryman at Waterloo with taking a section of Hadrian's Wall. They both have historical significance, which is what makes them valuable, but would anyone seriously challenge the personal ownership of the firearm? A boomerang is a hunting weapon, and this one's not even a relic from a famous battle (with a kangaroo?). I'm an Australian and respect my indigenous countrymen enormously. I think this is way over the top, however.
Austrailia should not have to bid on this artifax, it belongs to them. I get tired of people going into other countries, etc, taking what they want, etc. Even Christopher Columbus did the same thing. He even landed at the wrong sight!!!!!!!!!!!