New Zealand divided over Cook’s landing
New Zealand is marking a divisive anniversary - 250 years since the British explorer Captain James Cook set foot in the country.
Cook and his crew of the HMS Endeavour came to shore at Gisborne on October 8, 1769 ushering in colonial rule.
But New Zealand - or Aotearoa in Maori - had been populated by the Maori people for several hundred years.
Some say this milestone should not be celebrated as it had a detrimental impact on the Maori community. Last week British High Commissioner Laura Clarke delivered a statement of regret to local tribes - known as iwi - over the death of nine indigenous people during the first meeting between Cook and the Maori. But she stopped short of issuing an apology. Though James Cook’s exploration of New Zealand dominates history books, Dutch navigator Abel Tasman was the first European to catch sight of it, in 1642.
Maori people from Polynesian islands are believed to have arrived in New Zealand hundreds of years prior to the first Europeans. New Zealand has planned several days of events to mark the milestone of the first meeting between Maori and Europeans.
On Tuesday, a flotilla of ships including a replica of the Endeavour reached Gisborne, a city on the east coast of North Island.
Members of Parliament Kelvin Davis and Kiritapu Allan went aboard to greet the crew. Protesters were also reportedly present in the town, which is also known by its Maori name of Turanga-nui-a-Kiwa.BBC