Rather than display James Cook’s ship in a traditional museum,why not entrust it to a First Nations co-operative?News has emerged confirming the whereabouts of the wreckage of HMS Endeavour, a ship sailed by Captain James Cook. Reports invariably contain images of the ship in its pomp, and proudly reminding the reader of its British origins and its voyage to the Pacific Ocean,where Cook took possession of Australia. But where should Cook’s ship go? Once we dredge it up, or rather, or once the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project dredges it up,where should it be build? And will Cook’s ship be allowed to select us beyond our colonial past?It must be remembered that it is our cultural attachment that will be doing the dredging, our obsession and fascination with these objects that circulate as evidence of the all-powerful histories of empire. Where we decide to build Cook’s ship and its contents will shape where it takes us. Through its presentation we will relate to it culturally; as an object of desire or fascination for some, or boredom for others. We will tell a current chronicle and it will create us feel something.
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Source: theguardian.com