Is there any physical evidence to support the theory that james cook slaughtered aboriginals in australia?

Question

why cant ppl just answer the question without pretending they have some actual intelligence by giving a half smart answer?

physical evidence such as actual written evidence from eyewitnesses at the time or photos,paintings etc.there is no evidence that i know off that suggests that james cook or his crew slaughtered any aborigines,the theory is espoused by aboriginal ppl who have passed the story down through the generations.what i want to know is there any evidence anywhere to support this?

Answer 1

No. There is not.

Answer 2

The aboriginal genocide story has been pretty conclusively disproved, even for Tasmanians, who died off from sterility produced by European STDs.

Answer 3

You mean apart from all the written evidence?  Well maybe not James Cook personally running around with a gun, but you know, the people he captained out here.

Answer 4

He might have killed Aboriginal people, he most probably didn't. I'd say no, I reckon because he didn't hang around here long enough. And he would've been in "civilised" areas, not in the bush, where the real battle was.

Okay I was being facetious and shouldn't have been. I'll get rid of that part.

I'm a Murri from Northern NSW and I've never heard anyone say this. And I was raised on Missions and in Aboriginal communities all over NSW from Nowra up to Moree.

I'm proud of my culture and I've been involved with educating Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people about culture and cultural sites.

My answer's not really any different. I reckon he wasn't really involved with the bloody work of establishing the colony.



But there wouldn't really be any proof. Just word of mouth and that'll be considered hearsay, people wouldn't accept that as any kind of proof, only if it was verified by a "reliable" witness. And I think that if it did happen it wouldn't be written down anyway; it's like not knowing if Gov Macquarie killed Aboriginal people too; it's to protect their reputation. Even in those early days, I'm sure it would've been important.

Answer 5

Actually I haven't heard indigenous people saying that James Cook slaughtered aboriginals .. and I would find it a little hard to believe given the way he got along with many of the Maori people in NEW ZEALAND...

Infact .. I will have to find the book to quote from it .. From memory Cook was concerned re the plight of the native people IF Europeans were to come to their world..

there may have been a case of an aboriginal being shot IF there was thought that he was going to attack the sailors..

(edit : have to get dinner ready BUT will try and find the quote which was directly from Cook's log book.)

EDIT.. I am having trouble finding the book .. but it was by Manning Clarke and had relevant quotes all through British discovery and settlement of AU....

Cook expressed that he believed the native people were wretched ( not as an insult but in the sense of the time.. he meant without wealth/clothing) ... he commented on the idyllistic life-style.. he expressed concern of how white people would affect these people ( having been aware of the affect other white people had on other indigenous people)

AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....I am remembering the doco that was on the ABC some time back ... about Captain Cook . .and this is what I think you may be refering to.....

INITIALLY.. Cook and his men got along o.k with the indigenous people.. they had brought him and his men food and shells .. and in return Cook gave some of the food they had....from what the doco said.. it was Indigenous culture to share what you had .. and The indigenous people saw all the stores that the endevour had .. and .... helped themselves ( N.B I do not consider that to be stealing .. just cultural misunderstanding)...

Cook's men saw it as stealing and some violence broke out and Yes I believe some people were killed...

I don't think it would have been a case of Cook going out on a binge to kill black people.. as by all accounts Cook was very sympathetic to Indigenous peoples of the pacific.

Answer 6

there is no evidence, especially since cook tried his hardest to interact with Aboriginal people.  it wasn't until the forced refugees started getting more freedom and the whites wanted more land that there was wholesale murder of Aboriginal people.  There is more than enough evidence in the journals and newspapers of the time to support the real efforts of whites to exterminate Aboriginal people.

***what is the source for this 'theory', because as an Aboriginal person I have never heard or been taught this so-called 'theory'!? - Sounds like a little bit of a generalisation***

Answer 7

i also have heard this rumour from aboriginal ppl and i also would like to see some real evidence that captain cook slaughtered aboriginals.as i know history i believe it was later white ppl who done this not captain cook or any of his crew.