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The race to colonise/tami
The race to colonise/tami
Logic of explorers in the 1600s was that there must be a big landmass in the Pacific Ocean. The race to find these lands and claim them for their own was on between the Dutch, French and English. It wasn't until the 1800s that the Pacific was fully mapped out and there were no massive landmasses to be found. This timeframe is known as The Age of Exploration.
Below you can see James Cook's different trips he took, looking to map the Pacific.
Torohanga - Extension
Torohanga - Extension
How should we view James Cook?
How should we view James Cook?
In 2019 a replica of the Endeavour (Captain Cook's ship) sailed to Aotearoa/New Zealand to celebrate 250 years since his arrival.
In the past people have "hero worshipped" Cook. He has statues and books dedicated to him and he has dominated our history classes for hundreds of years...
Captain Cook did do some very impressive things: massive sailing trips, learning and recording about many 'new' things, mapping the pacific, New Zealand and Australia.
However, he was not a hero to all, and for years Pakeha have glossed over the fact that his arrival dawned an era for extremely tough times that continue to affect Māori people to this day (theft of land, loss of mana, culture, language).
This video shows how we are taking steps to make sure history is told in a way that is more respectful to Māori people and to acknowledge the damage that was done by the European arrival in Aotearoa New Zealand.
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