Historical writings and literary works of New Zealand appear to divide pioneer women of the 19^<th> century into two groups. The first group persists in conforming the concept of 'the angel in the house', the Victorian England stereotype of women, whereas the second alters it by giving it new meanings. Writers have neglected, however, to deal with a third group of women who existed; the WahinePakeha Maori, who crossed the border between the races, at the time of the Land Wars when their antagonism was the most intense. This paper aims to disclose why the words and deeds of WahinePakeha Maori were buried and forgotten in New Zealand history and to show how reassessment of the role these women played might contribute to bettering racial relations. It will focus on Vincent Ward's River Queen, the heroine of which is a WahinePakeha Maori, and probe into its profound themes as a means of going about these tasks.