Johanna Marau Ta‘aroa
Encyclopedia
Johanna Marau Ta'aroa a Tepau Salmon (1860 – 1934). Her name means "Much-unique-cleansing The-splash" in Tahitian
.
Her mother was the adoptive daughter of King Pōmare II
's widow, the mother of Pōmare III
and Pōmare IV
. Considered one of the highest ranking chiefesses in the land, she was head of the Teva clan, the traditional rivals of the Pōmare family
, and descended from Chief Amo and Queen Purea
who resided the first European explorer Samuel Wallis
in 1767. In 1846, Ariitamai was considered a rival candidate to throne by the French governor Armand Joseph Bruat
in the event that Queen Pomare IV refused to return from her self-impose exile to Raiatea
and comply with a French protectorate over Tahiti.
Her parents had ten children. Marau's siblings were: brothers Tepau, Tati, Ariipaea, and Narii; and sisters Titaua, Moetia, Beretania, and Manihinihi; see family tree. Her family were considered royalty by Tahitians.
Marau's relation with her siblings shattered in the aftermath of their mother's death which culminated in a seven-year long feud and lawsuit battle over their mother's lands and possessions. She able to reconcile with her siblings and drop the lawsuits in 1904. She and her sister Moetia survived all her siblings and died months apart from each other.
, at Papeete. He was many years her senior and had been married and divorced before to Teuhe II
, who later became Queen of Huahine
in her own right. The marriage was an unhappy arrangement and the couples constantly fought.
When her mother-in-law died, the two had separated. The French Admiral Serre persuaded them to make peace. They were crowned King and Queen of Tahiti in September 24, 1877 with the approval of the Legislative Assembly of Tahiti and the French. She and Pōmare had three children, but it was agree that her husband's niece Princess Teriivaetua (daughter of his second brother King Tamatoa V of Raiatea); and his nephew Prince Teriihinoiatua, commonly called Hinoi (son of his third brother Prince Joinville) would be ahead of any children of Queen Marau in order to secure a pure-Tahitian heir to the throne. Their children were:
The marriage ended in divorce in July 27, 1887; the king repudiated their two younger children and in retaliation the queen denied his paternity of all three.
and was de facto ruler as Queen Marau (1877–1880) until he abdicated to the French colonial government.
In later life she became acquainted with American writer Henry Adams
who wrote a biography of her mother and herself.
Tahitian language
Tahitian is an indigenous language spoken mainly in the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is an Eastern Polynesian language closely related to the other indigenous languages spoken in French Polynesia: Marquesan, Tuamotuan, Mangarevan, and Austral Islands languages...
.
Family
She was born in 1860 to Alexander Salmon (Solomon, 1822–1866), an English Jewish merchant, and Princess Oehau, later given the title ari‘i Taimai, their third daughter and seventh child.Her mother was the adoptive daughter of King Pōmare II
Pomare II
Pōmare II, King of Tahiti , fully Tu Tunuieaiteatua Pōmare II or in modern orthography Tū Tū-nui-ēa-i-te-atua Pōmare II , was the second king of Tahiti between 1782 and 1821. He was installed by his father Pōmare I at Tarahoi, February 13, 1791...
's widow, the mother of Pōmare III
Pomare III
Pōmare III, King of Tahiti , more properly Teriʻitariʻa Pōmare III, was the king of Tahiti between 1821 and 1827. He was the second son of King Pōmare II and his wife Queen Teriʻtoʻoterai Teremoemoe....
and Pōmare IV
Pomare IV
Pōmare IV, Queen of Tahiti , more properly Aimata Pōmare IV Vahine-o-Punuateraitua , was the queen of Tahiti between 1827 and 1877...
. Considered one of the highest ranking chiefesses in the land, she was head of the Teva clan, the traditional rivals of the Pōmare family
Pōmare Dynasty
The Pōmare Dynasty was the reigning family of the Kingdom of Tahiti between the unification of the island by Pōmare I in 1788 and Pōmare V's cession of the kingdom to France in 1880...
, and descended from Chief Amo and Queen Purea
Purea
Purea was a Queen from the Landward Teva tribe and a self-proclaimed ruler of all Tahiti. In 1767-68 Purea and her mate Amo built Mahaiatea, a place intended to be the ritual center of Tahiti....
who resided the first European explorer Samuel Wallis
Samuel Wallis
Samuel Wallis was a Cornish navigator who circumnavigated the world.Wallis was born near Camelford, Cornwall. In 1766 he was given the command of HMS Dolphin to circumnavigate the world, accompanied by the Swallow under the command of Philip Carteret...
in 1767. In 1846, Ariitamai was considered a rival candidate to throne by the French governor Armand Joseph Bruat
Armand Joseph Bruat
Armand Joseph Bruat was a French admiral.- Biography :Bruat joined the French Navy in 1811, at the height of the Napoleonic Wars. His early career included far-ranging sea duties: in 1815, he served in Brazil and the West Indies. From 1817 to 1820 he was with French forces in the Levant...
in the event that Queen Pomare IV refused to return from her self-impose exile to Raiatea
Raiatea
Raiatea , is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti, in French Polynesia. The island is widely regarded as the 'center' of the eastern islands in ancient Polynesia and it is likely that the organised migrations to Hawaii, Aotearoa and other parts of East Polynesia started at...
and comply with a French protectorate over Tahiti.
Her parents had ten children. Marau's siblings were: brothers Tepau, Tati, Ariipaea, and Narii; and sisters Titaua, Moetia, Beretania, and Manihinihi; see family tree. Her family were considered royalty by Tahitians.
Marau's relation with her siblings shattered in the aftermath of their mother's death which culminated in a seven-year long feud and lawsuit battle over their mother's lands and possessions. She able to reconcile with her siblings and drop the lawsuits in 1904. She and her sister Moetia survived all her siblings and died months apart from each other.
Marriage
In January 28, 1875, she married Crown Prince Ariiaue, the future King Pōmare VPomare V
Pōmare V, King of Tahiti was the last monarch of Tahiti, reigning from 1877 until his forced abdication in 1880. He was the son of Queen Pōmare IV. He was born as Teri'i Tari'a Te-rā-tane and became Heir Apparent and Crown Prince upon the death of his elder brother on 13 May 1855...
, at Papeete. He was many years her senior and had been married and divorced before to Teuhe II
Teuhe II
Te-mari'i-a-Teurura'i Ma'i-hara Te-uhe , was a Polynesian queen who reigned, during the 19th century, on the tahitian kingdom of Huahine under the reign name Teuhe. She belongs to the Teururai Royal family of Huahine.-Family:...
, who later became Queen of Huahine
Huahine
Huahine is an island located among the Society Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Leeward Islands group . The island has a population of about 6,000.-Geography:...
in her own right. The marriage was an unhappy arrangement and the couples constantly fought.
When her mother-in-law died, the two had separated. The French Admiral Serre persuaded them to make peace. They were crowned King and Queen of Tahiti in September 24, 1877 with the approval of the Legislative Assembly of Tahiti and the French. She and Pōmare had three children, but it was agree that her husband's niece Princess Teriivaetua (daughter of his second brother King Tamatoa V of Raiatea); and his nephew Prince Teriihinoiatua, commonly called Hinoi (son of his third brother Prince Joinville) would be ahead of any children of Queen Marau in order to secure a pure-Tahitian heir to the throne. Their children were:
- Teri'i-nui-o-Tahiti Te-vahine-taora-te-rito-ma-te-ra'i Teri'ia'e-tua, (March 9, 1879 — October 29, 1961)
- Ari'i-manihinihi Te-vahine-rere-atua-i-Fareia, (January 4, 1887 — June 27, 1976)
- Ernest Albert Teri'i-na-vaho-roa-i-te-tua-i-Hauviri Tetua-nui-marua-i-te-ra' i Aro-roa-i-te-mavana-o-Tu Te pau, (May 15, 1888 — December 4, 1961)
The marriage ended in divorce in July 27, 1887; the king repudiated their two younger children and in retaliation the queen denied his paternity of all three.
and was de facto ruler as Queen Marau (1877–1880) until he abdicated to the French colonial government.
In later life she became acquainted with American writer Henry Adams
Henry Adams
Henry Brooks Adams was an American journalist, historian, academic and novelist. He is best known for his autobiographical book, The Education of Henry Adams. He was a member of the Adams political family.- Early life :He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Charles Francis Adams Sr...
who wrote a biography of her mother and herself.