CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Unbekannt
1887 - 1898
About the object
The Sāmoan man pictured in this photograph is Seumanutafa Pogai (1830s – 1903), high chief of Apia settlement. His status is reflected in his attire. He is wearing an ‘ulalei, paired with an armband around his right arm, a tī leaf garland / lau maile around his neck and a fibrous girdle over a siapo mamanu. The fue in his hand may indicate his orator status, unless used as a prop to underpin his chiefly rank. The photograph was likely taken by John Davis in his studio in Matafele, Apia.
Author: Charlotte Klinge, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Author: Charlotte Klinge, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Apia harbour was originally settled by the indigenous Sāmoan population and became the first landing point for European settlers in the 1800s. To regulate incoming and outgoing traffic, port regulations were established by British captain Charles Bethune in 1837. These included pilot and docking fees and the banning of liquor, among other things. Being the chief of Apia, Seumanutafa Pogai received the port levy and therein, controlled trade and foreign immigration.
As commercial activities and new arrivals increased, so did the prices of goods. To prevent further increases and manage European settlement, Seumanutafa Pogai and other chiefs of Apia Bay demanded price-control laws, urging Sāmoans to boycott stores in the harbour. This was met with naval intervention by the British as a means of resolution.
Following the cyclone in Apia harbour in March 1889, Seumanutafa Pogai and fellow Sāmoan men rescued American sailors from the USS Trenton who had fallen into treacherous waters. The shipwrecked were taken to Seumanutafa Pogai’s house where his wife, Fa’atulia, took care of them. As a result, Seumanutafa Pogai was considered a Sāmoan hero by former US consul-general William Churchill.
Author: Charlotte Klinge, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
As commercial activities and new arrivals increased, so did the prices of goods. To prevent further increases and manage European settlement, Seumanutafa Pogai and other chiefs of Apia Bay demanded price-control laws, urging Sāmoans to boycott stores in the harbour. This was met with naval intervention by the British as a means of resolution.
Following the cyclone in Apia harbour in March 1889, Seumanutafa Pogai and fellow Sāmoan men rescued American sailors from the USS Trenton who had fallen into treacherous waters. The shipwrecked were taken to Seumanutafa Pogai’s house where his wife, Fa’atulia, took care of them. As a result, Seumanutafa Pogai was considered a Sāmoan hero by former US consul-general William Churchill.
Author: Charlotte Klinge, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa