Kia ora koutou and welcome back!
Today Auckland Libraries’ Heritage Trust scholar Chris Turnbull presents an overview of the New Zealand and British relationship with the Cook Islands.
He details the move from Imperial to localised power and the influence of ariki, or high chiefs, on the development of policy, including two prominent female leaders.
The talk illustrates the intriguing interplay between the local and the geopolitical at a time when countries such as England and France were making bold moves to assert their dominance in the Pacific.
Enjoy the journey! Haramai tētahi ahua!
Find out more on today's topic! The Special Collections housed at Tamaki Pataki Korero - the Auckland Central Library are a rich resource for researching NZ and Pacific history:
You can find the following content within our manuscript collection, just type the record ID provided into the search box:
http://bit.ly/2ZfywKY
- Correspondence between George Grey and Sydney regarding French occupation of New Caledonia: GNZMS 209
- Letter from Sir George Grey to Queen Ariki Makea: GLNZ G1.M1
You can find images through our Heritage Images collection:
http://bit.ly/2riknA8
Mrs. Seddon and Queen Makea in palace grounds, Raratonga: AWNS-19000824-4-1
Image credit: Tapa mask, Rarotonga; Collection of Auckland Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira, 8353: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/collections-research/collections/record/am_humanhistory-object-575654
Recorded live at the Auckland Central Library on 31 July 2019
