Historic Repatriation: Aboriginal Spears Returned to Australia

Four Aboriginal spears taken by Captain James Cook over 250 years ago have been returned to their traditional owners in a ceremony at Cambridge University.

The spears, taken in 1770 during the first contact between British explorers and the Gweagal people, symbolize a long history of cultural appropriation.
A lengthy campaign by the La Perouse Aboriginal community led to the repatriation, highlighting ongoing efforts to address colonial legacies.
The returned spears will be housed in a new visitor center at Kurnell, Kamay, near the site of their original taking.
Trinity College, which had held the spears since 1771, acknowledges the need to reassess the complex legacies of the British Empire.
The repatriation is part of a broader movement among Western institutions to return culturally significant items to indigenous communities.