Tehauroa

Tehauroa
Queen of Raiatea and Tahaa
Reign	13 April 1881 – 18 March 1884
Coronation	13 April 1881
Predecessor	Tahitoe
Successor	Tamatoa VI
Born	c. 1830[1]
Died	18 March 1884 (aged 53–54)
Full name Rere-ao Te-hau-roa-ari'i
House	House of Tamatoa
Father	Tahitoe
Mother	Metua'aro
Religion	Protestantism

Rere-ao Te-hau-roa-ari'i, also given as Teri'i-hau-roa (c. 1830 – 18 March 1884), was the Queen of Raiatea and Tahaa. In the Tahitian language, her name means "flying-in-the-world" and "perpetual peace" or "long governments of kings".^[2] She was the only reigning Queen of Raiatea.^[3][4]

Life

She was the daughter of King Tahitoe of Huahine and his second wife, Metua'aro. Her grandfather Hihipa Tahitoe was the son of Vete'a-ra'i U'uru, the chief of Opoa, and grandson of King Tamatoa III^[5] of Raiatea from whom her family claimed the right to throne of Raiatea. She was the namesake of her grandmother Rere-ao, wife of Hihipa Tahitoe, who was the daughter of Queen Maevarua of Bora Bora and sister of King Tapoa I of Tahaa and Bora Bora.^[2][4][6]

Her father succeeded to the throne after the deposition and banishment of the unpopular Tamatoa V in 1871, and she was named as his heir. In March 1881, her father was in turn deposed by the Raiatean people for allowing the French to declare a protectorate over the kingdom. Consequently, in April, she was elected to succeed him to the throne with a council of twelve district chiefs, four from Tahaa and eight from Raiatea.^[7][8] Her coronation was performed by Reverend Albert Pearse at Uturoa Church with due solemnity and rejoicings. On 1 October 1882, she outlawed the sale of alcohol from her kingdom, with the exceptions of religious or remedial uses.^[9] Another action of her reign was the revision of the Kingdom's law code. This version titled the Code of Tehauroa (1884) was the last revision to the constitutional law code; it outlawed the sale of land, permitted up to that point, and made Protestantism the only authorized religion. These changes were enacted to counter the influence of France, which had already declared Raiatea a French protectorate during her father's reign.^[10][1]

Remaining unmarried, Tehauroa died on 18 March 1884 after a short illness.^[2][11][12] She was succeeded by a female-line cousin, the equally pious^[7] Prince Ari'imate Teururai of Huahine, who ascended the throne as King Tamatoa VI, which effectively ended the rule of the Tamatoa Dynasty.^[6]

References

1. Ben Cahoon, ed. (2000). "French Polynesia". WorldStatesman.org. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
2. Teuira Henry, John Muggridge Orsmond (1928). Ancient Tahiti 48. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum. pp. 251, 252, 259.
3. "Women in Power 1870 – 1900". Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
4. Christopher Buyers Page 2. "Raiatea: Ari'i-Maro-'Ura Dynasty Genealogy". Royal Ark web site. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
5. Missionary descendant and historian Teuira Henry inaccurately numbered the Tamatoa.
6. Eugène Hänni (1908). Trois ans chez les Canaques. Payot. p. 188.
7. Richard Lovett (1899). The History of the London Missionary Society, 1795–1895, Volume 1. H. Frowde. pp. 349–350.
8. Société académique de Brest (1885). Bulletin de la Société Académique de Brest. p. 137.
9. Société Bretonne de Géographiei (1882). Bulletin, Issues 1–9. La Société. pp. 327–329.
10. Paul de Deckker, Jean Yves Faberon (2001). Custom and the law. Asia Pacific Press. p. 91.
11. Etablissements Français de l'Océanie (1884). Journal Officiel des Etablissements Français de l'Océanie, Année 1884 (PDF). Etablissements Français de l'Océanie.
12. "Death of the Queen of Raiatea". Evangelical Magazine with which is Issued The Missionary Chronicle, Volume 14. s.n. 1884. p. 367.