A recently written biography of the Swedish seaman Charles E
Nelson who was awarded the title of White Tohunga by the Maoris.
CHARLES E NELSON - A WHITE TOHUNGA is a
documentary that begins in the Swedish university town
of Lund. The son of Sven Nilsson - an internationally
renowned professor of zoology and archaeology - Carl Esaias
Nilsson grew up in a home filled with knowledge and enquiry!
However, when young he chose to study for a life at sea.
Here he experienced the whale and slave trades of 19th
century at the same time as he got to know different countries
and cultures around the world.
In New Zealand he settled down among both the Maoris and
the settlers. Compared to the English, Scots and Irish
he was, with his distinguished Scandinavian background,
an unusual settler in the middle of the 19th century.
In his new homeland he became an entrepreneur in a flourishing
settler society with things like international cultural
tourism at the Geyser Hotel Rotorua - long before this
concept became a part of modern travel! His contacts with
the Maoris developed well with the production of carvings
that were part of the local economy. But Charles' scientific
interests and enormous global experience from his life
as a sailor meant that he also carried out unique ethnographic
documentation of the Maoris' language.
Charles E Nelson's life was without doubt remarkable,
a unique combination of navigator, entrepreneur and humanitarian!
The authors are retired professor Gunnar Kullberg (†) and
his wife Peggy Kullberg, Bachelor of Law, who has
for many years had both university and social contact
with New Zealand. |
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This book will remedy that neglect of Nelson's scholarly
contribution and will locate him firmly among those founding
fathers of both New Zealand etnology and the New Zealand
tourist industry! 
