María ( – ), better known as María la Grande or María Grande (English: María the Great), is the

Christian name A Christian name, sometimes referred to as a baptismal name, is a religious personal name given on the occasion of a Christian baptism, though now most often given by parents at birth. In English-speaking cultures, a person's Christian name ...

of a woman who served as the '' cacica'' of the southern

Tehuelche people The Tehuelche people, also called the Aónikenk, are an Indigenous people from eastern Patagonia in South America. In the 18th and 19th centuries the Tehuelche were influenced by Mapuche people, and many adopted a horseriding lifestyle. Once a ...

who lived in the

Strait of Magellan The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and the Tierra del Fuego archipelago to the south. Considered the most important natura ...

and the Patagonian coast during the first half of the 19th century. Her direct domain was focused in the territory of the Bay of San Gregorio, in the present-day

Chilean region Chile is divided into 16 regions (in Spanish, ''regiones''; singular ), which are the country's first-level administrative division. Each region is headed by directly elected regional governor (''gobernador regional'') and a regional board (''co ...

of Magallanes, although she was called upon in other Patagonian regions when a conflictive situation required her judgment. María was a leader of great prestige and power among the Tehuelche people, known for her skills as a ruler and merchant with European settlers and explorers. She is considered one of the most prominent figures in the history of Patagonia. Her influence covered the entirety of Argentine Patagonia, from the Río Negro to the Strait of Magellan. During her rule, she came into contact with the expeditions of

James Weddell James Weddell (24 August 1787 – 9 September 1834) was a British sailor, navigator and seal hunter who in February 1823 sailed to latitude of 74° 15′ S—a record 7.69 degrees or 532 statute miles south of the Antar ...

Phillip Parker King Phillip Parker King (13 December 1791 – 26 February 1856) was an early explorer of the Australian and Patagonian coasts. Early life and education King was born on Norfolk Island, to Philip Gidley King and Anna Josepha King ''née'' Coo ...

Robert FitzRoy Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy (5 July 1805 – 30 April 1865) was an English officer of the Royal Navy, politician and scientist who served as the second governor of New Zealand between 1843 and 1845. He achieved lasting fame as the captain of ...

and Luis Vernet, among others. The

epithet An epithet (, ), also a byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) commonly accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a real or fictitious person, place, or thing. It is usually literally descriptive, as in Alfred the Great, Suleima ...

" the Great"—a reference to

Catherine II of Russia Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...

—was given to María by the latter upon meeting her in the

Valdes Peninsula Valdez or Valdés may refer to: People *Valdez (surname) *Valdés (surname) * Valdez (Brazilian footballer) (born 1943), a Brazilian former footballer * Valdez Demings, U.S. politician Geography * Valdés, Asturias, Spain *Valdez, Alaska Vald ...

, in the present-day Argentine province of

Chubut Chubut may refer to: * Chubut Province Chubut ( from Tehuelche language, Tehuelche 'transparent'; ) is a provinces of Argentina, province in southern Argentina, situated between the 42nd parallel south (the border with Río Negro Province), ...

, in 1828. After being appointed as the commander of the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; ), commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and from Cape Dub ...

(Spanish: ''Islas Malvinas'') in 1831 by the Argentine government, Vernet invited María to the islands for the purpose of establishing trade relations between their territories.

Notes

References

Tehuelche people 19th-century indigenous women of the Americas 19th-century Argentine women politicians 19th-century Argentine politicians 19th-century women monarchs 1780s births 1840s deaths Year of birth uncertain Year of death uncertain 19th-century indigenous leaders of the Americas {{Argentina-bio-stub