A petition has been launched to stop a replica of Captain Cook's ship Endeavour coming to New Zealand.
The ship is due to embark on a three-month voyage around the country in October as part of our commemorations marking 250 years since the first onshore meeting between Māori and Europeans.
But some say the re-enactment of Cook's voyage is extremely hurtful for indigenous people, including Māori.
"To indigenous people in the Pacific, it represents imperialism, it represents very much a death ship," said petition organiser Sina Brown-Davis.
"To honour the people that were killed by Cook and the people that died in the resulting genocide, that we honour those deaths by opposing this re-enactment in our times."
The petition has nearly 2000 signatures, but Māori Crown Relations Minister Kelvin Davis says the event is going ahead, the commemorations are being driven by Māori and the majority support it.
"People can't have it both ways. They can't ask for just the parts of history that they like to be told, we've got to tell it warts and all and this is the perfect opportunity," Davis said.
Brown-Davis says petition-organisers plan to have protests at every stop the ship makes - and they want all indigenous communities to get involved.
"We're looking forward to gathering aboriginal, hawaiian, and six nations people in Gisborne so our indigenous brothers and sisters can talk about the impact Captain Cook had on their societies."
A piece of history - but one that some believe is a symbol sending the wrong message.
Newshub.
