Notes
The Maori name for Croatians is Tarara. At the turn of the 20th century, Croatians were migrating from Dalmatia, and Maori, having become part of the British Empire, were losing much of their land. All were looking for work. They came together on the gumfields of the Far North, digging up kauri gum resin for export. Many of the Croatians settled and married - many to local Maori women - and a unique community was born. Drawing on a range of sources, from official historical narratives on the kauri gum industry, to oral histories, novels, letters, newspaper articles, marriage certificates, and much more, Senka Bozic-Vrbancic examines Maori-Croatian relationships on the gumfields and beyond. Discusses ideas about migration and displacement, colonialism, assimilation, biculturalism, and multiculturalism through the shared history of Maori and Croatian identity and memory. Illustrated with historical photographs.
