JOURNAL ARTICLE

Two Hundred and Fifty Ways to Start an Essay about Captain Cook, Alice Te Punga Somerville (2020).

  • Published In: Journal of New Zealand & Pacific Studies, 2024, v. 12, n. 1. P. 86 1 of 3

  • Database: Humanities Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Jablonski, Sebastian 3 of 3

Abstract

This review focuses on *Two Hundred and Fifty Ways to Start an Essay about Captain Cook* (2020) by Alice Te Punga Somerville, a critical Indigenous response to the anglophone colonial glorification of Captain James Cook. The book, structured as 250 varied entries, challenges dominant narratives by highlighting Cook's legacy of imperial violence and the ongoing epistemic erasure of Indigenous peoples in settler-colonial states like Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. Somerville critiques the 2019–21 commemorations of Cook's arrival, exposing settler-colonial ambivalence and the symbolic violence embedded in place naming and historical memory. The work combines scholarly research with personal reflection, emphasizing the complexities faced by Indigenous scholars navigating colonial histories and their contemporary impacts.

Additional Information

  • Source:Journal of New Zealand & Pacific Studies. 2024/06, Vol. 12, Issue 1, p86
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:20504039
  • DOI:10.1386/nzps_00170_5
  • Accession Number:177902966
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Journal of New Zealand & Pacific Studies is the property of Intellect Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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