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Part B: Reading Comprehension

Read the text about Rodney Kelly‘s mission and do the following tasks according
to the information from the text.
a)
Answer the following questions. Complete sentences are not necessary.
What is the first reaction of the two Aboriginal warriors to the arrival of white men?
What happened to the leader of the warriors?
b)
Decide if the statements are true or false and tick the correct box.
Proof in line(s): Find the lines in the text that support your decision.
During the fight the shield was pulled out of the warrior‘s hand.
Proof in line(s):
true false
Visitors to the British Museum can see the Aboriginal shield.
Proof in line(s):
true false
Australian politicans are against Rodney Kelly‘s plan.
Proof in line(s):
true false
The British Museum intends to keep the shield in its collection.
Proof in line(s):
true false
c)
Tick the correct box. Only one answer is correct.
The British Museum...
doesn‘t usually hand over objects to people who claim them.
usually hides objects from people who claim them.
has many conversations with people who claim objects.
Ms Bolton explains that the issue...
is ridiculous.
involves many aspects.
is making her angry.
According to Indigenous people, the British Museum...
has no right to keep Aboriginal objects.
has done a good job in preserving Aboriginal artefacts.
is the best partner for Aborginials.
Rodney Kelly states that the British Museum keeps the object to...
support Aboriginal people in preserving their culture.
make Aboriginal people aware of their culture heritage.
demonstrate superiority over Aboriginal people.

Man on a mission

Indigenous man Rodney Kelly is going to England to get back a shield he says was stolen from his
ancestor by Captain Cook first landed at Botany Bay in 1770.
1
When Cook, with two boat-loads of crew, first attempted to land in Australia, he was
2
confronted by two warriors of the Gweagal people, who waved them away, making it
3
clear that they were prepared to fight them off. Their leader, Cooman, was shot in the
4
leg and wounded. The warriors threw spears and then were chased away with more
5
gunfire. Cooman dropped his shield, which was taken to England by Cook. The shield
6
is now in display at the British Museum in London.
7
Mr Kelly travelled to England to ask for his shield to be returned to his people.
8
He said the Museum had no legitimate claim to the shield. He was the support of the New
9
South Wales Parliment. Mr Kelly argued, "The shield was taken by gunfire; so it
10
belongs to the descendants of the man who held it, and the people who were there that
11
day – the people of Botany Bay, the Gweagal people. Cooman‘s shield is a powerful
12
symbol of an event that forever changed the lives of Indigenous Australians."
13
While the British Museum has acknowledged that the shield is of cultural significance to the
14
Gweagal people, it is about to returne it. Lissant Bolton from the Museum‘s Oceania Department
15
said the Museum was willing to loan the shield back to Australia.
16
But Mr Kelly replied that he was "disgusted" by the Museum‘s offer.
17
"The Museum doesn‘t return objects in general, but we haven‘t had that many of these conversations,"
18
Ms Bolton said. "I understand that there are many complex issues involved in returning objects
19
to communities, and exactly where they go, who they go to, what part of the community is
20
represented in the request – all those things are really, really important. It‘s also really important
21
to work collaboratively with communities, and that‘s something that we try and do."
22
But Indigenous communities do not feel as if the British Museum is listening to them.
23
The Museum is the biggest holder of Aboriginal cultural artefacts outside of Australia –
24
artefacts Indigenous communities consider to be stolen.
25
Mr Kelly said the Museum‘s lack of cooperation was dishonest. "They‘re not holding onto it
26
just to show the world, they‘re holding onto it to have that power over us," he said.
27
He stated he would not be giving up the fight to return his ancestor‘s shield back to Botany Bay.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/2016-11-02/rodney-kelly-demands-british-museum-returns-shield/7986862,
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-23/rodney-kelly-demands-british-return-cooman-shield/7871782 [downloaded 6 July 2018]
(10 BE)