6 Māori encounters with ‘Wikitoria’ in 1863 and Albert Victor Pomare, her Māori godchild
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Chanel Clarke
Abstract
In 1863, a group of thirteen Māori, led by Wesleyan lay preacher William Jenkins, arrived in England to present illustrated public lectures on New Zealand. This visit offers a rare and interesting insight into Māori and European encounter in the nineteenth century through the words of the protagonists themselves in the form of their surviving letters and diaries, coupled with a plethora of visual images. The tour culminated in an audience with Queen Victoria at Osborne House. In this particular encounter the “performance” of identity is aptly expressed through the medium of dress. The visit offers a unique view of not only how she observed them and how they saw her, but also more importantly, how they perceived themselves.
Abstract
In 1863, a group of thirteen Māori, led by Wesleyan lay preacher William Jenkins, arrived in England to present illustrated public lectures on New Zealand. This visit offers a rare and interesting insight into Māori and European encounter in the nineteenth century through the words of the protagonists themselves in the form of their surviving letters and diaries, coupled with a plethora of visual images. The tour culminated in an audience with Queen Victoria at Osborne House. In this particular encounter the “performance” of identity is aptly expressed through the medium of dress. The visit offers a unique view of not only how she observed them and how they saw her, but also more importantly, how they perceived themselves.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of maps and figures vii
- List of contributors ix
- Acknowledgements xii
- Maps xiii
- Introduction 1
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Part I Monarch, metaphor, memory
- 1 ‘We have seen the son of Heaven/We have seen the Son of Our Queen’ 25
- 2 ‘We rejoice to honour the Queen, for she is a good woman, who cares for the Māori race’ 54
- 3 ‘The faithful children of the Great Mother are starving’ 78
- 4 The politics of memory and the memory of politics 100
- 5 ‘My vast Empire & all its many peoples’ 125
- 6 Māori encounters with ‘Wikitoria’ in 1863 and Albert Victor Pomare, her Māori godchild 144
- 7 Southern African royalty and delegates visit Queen Victoria, 1882–95 166
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Part III Sovereign subjects?
- 8 Sovereignty performances, sovereignty testings 187
- 9 Bracelets, blankets and badges of distinction 210
- 10 Chiefly women 228
- Select bibliography 246
- Index 249
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of maps and figures vii
- List of contributors ix
- Acknowledgements xii
- Maps xiii
- Introduction 1
-
Part I Monarch, metaphor, memory
- 1 ‘We have seen the son of Heaven/We have seen the Son of Our Queen’ 25
- 2 ‘We rejoice to honour the Queen, for she is a good woman, who cares for the Māori race’ 54
- 3 ‘The faithful children of the Great Mother are starving’ 78
- 4 The politics of memory and the memory of politics 100
- 5 ‘My vast Empire & all its many peoples’ 125
- 6 Māori encounters with ‘Wikitoria’ in 1863 and Albert Victor Pomare, her Māori godchild 144
- 7 Southern African royalty and delegates visit Queen Victoria, 1882–95 166
-
Part III Sovereign subjects?
- 8 Sovereignty performances, sovereignty testings 187
- 9 Bracelets, blankets and badges of distinction 210
- 10 Chiefly women 228
- Select bibliography 246
- Index 249
