The Boxer Codex: transcription and translation of an illustrated late sixteenth-century Spanish manuscript concerning the geography, history and ethnography of the Pacific, South-east and East Asia

the nation as a whole. In ‘narratives of nation’, the author describes how the word ‘Kanak’ came to refer to the Melanesian people of New Caledonia. Derived from Hawaiian kanaka, meaning ‘person’, the word was initially used to refer to Pacific Islanders, but for the colonialists, it became a derogatory term. Kanak, however, started using it with a positive connotation to express and symbolise their unity as one national community and changed the spelling from the French ‘Canaque’ to ‘Kanak’ (pp. 40–45, 460). Another term, Caledonian, was initially used to refer to all the inhabitants of New Caledonia but has begun to be used more specifically for people of European descent, including those of mixed race, in preference to an older term, Caldoches. The differentiation of these terms and the complex ways they are used reflects the racial and cultural diversity of NewCaledonia and the changes in people’s perception of their identity. The author gives a detailed account of the evolving political relationship between France and New Caledonia and how recent political and social changes have led Kanak to develop and strengthen their sense of unity and accommodate new socio-political structures despite still being bound by blood relationships and traditions. Kanak identity is thus transforming and becoming multi-tiered. At the same time, political aspirations have changed from Kanak independence to the restoration of traditional rights and dignity as the Indigenous people of the island. The issues raised by the author are too numerous to discuss, but I would like to draw attention to the word ‘partner’, which the author uses several times. ‘Partner’ was a key word for the late Jean-Marie Tjibaou, a Kanak independence leader (pp. 223, 267), who said in 1985 that Kanak needed to regain sovereignty over their country and that sovereignty meant the right to choose partners. This evokes memories of first visits to tribus (reserves) and la coutume, a formalised greeting where the visitor offers the village chief a present and the chief responds with a standard discourse such as, ‘Thank you for visiting...Now that you have done this coutume, you will always be welcome here... ’ I believe this custom reflects the same spirit of accepting the other as a ‘partner’ and treating him or her as a trustworthy ally, an important act in Kanak society. Japan has a similar social practice, often described as uchi (inner circle), which is intimate and relaxed, as against soto (outer circle), which is more distant and formal. I recommend Edo’s publication very highly. It successfully depicts the complex nature of Kanak identity, which has been formed through a struggle against a colonial power to regain self-esteem and rights as autochthons. But Edo’s work goes further than merely describing the historical facts. Her numerous interviews are personal testimonies to how Kanak individuals perceive and feel about the changing world around them and how much they care about their land, culture, language and country.