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On 9 August 1956, in an interesting blend of traditional Polynesian ritual and Christian ceremony, Tetupu Mataio was proclaimed the new Rongomatane Ariki on Atiu. In doing so, Tetupu succeeded his uncle, Rongomatane Maka Kea Ariki. Tetupu was highly regarded as a leader and as a man and had held the Rongomatane Ariki Title since […]
Six archaeological sites up to 1000 years old on Aitutaki have yielded bones of 15 species of birds. Five of which are now considered to be extinct. Included here is an article written by David W. Steadman who was part of the 1987 New York State Biological Survey Team which visited Aitutaki and Atiu to […]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] During the 1860’s more than 725 Cook Islanders, mostly from the Northern Group, were duped to board ships from Peru with bogus contracts to go and work in South America. Once on board they found themselves as captured slaves and so began a life of absolute misery for many who were forced to work […]
The National Heritage Collection at the Cooks Island National Museum. To increase public awareness of the unique artifacts of the National Heritage Collection displayed in the National Museum, the following article features another of the National Museum’s oldest and most reveling objects on exhibition. A collection of eight 800 year old pearl-shell fish hooks recovered […]
“Genealogy is a list of human creations, all kinds of previous manifestations. Some were good blokes, others were jokes, Pick your friends but you can’t pick your relations.” Genealogy is a person’s pedigree. It is a list of one’s ancestors, family history and genetic heritage. The question is often asked : “How can traditional Polynesian […]
Here is a story from Howard Henry . . . Taipiro was a twelve year old boy who belonged to the Ngati-Tane Tribe of Mangaia in Pre-European times. One day he joined fishermen of a neighbouring tribe in a fishing expedition. When they finished fishing and began to devide the catch, there was no portion of catch […]
Mathew Campbell published an article in Volume 37, No2, 2002 of the” Journal of Pacific History” entitled : “The Oral Traditions of the Rarotonga Land Court Records”. To view this article in full go to : Oral Traditions of the Rarotonga Land Court Records
The traditional history of Manihiki and Rakahanga tells us that the human discoverer was Huku. He had sailed into these waters from Rarotonga on a fishing expedition. When he came to a part of the ocean referred to as “te tukuanga i Whaka-hotu” he noticed an upgrowth of rock or land (tapua whenua) projecting from the sea bottom but not high enough […]
Drury Low lived on Aitutaki for many years in the early 1900’s. He wrote extensively about the history of this island and was published several times in The Journal of the Polynesian Society. Included here are several of his articles . . . Traditions of Aitutaki by Drury Low – Part 1 Traditions of Aitutaki […]
Cook Islands Turtle Project : Mauke Report 2012 By Phil Bradshaw B.Sc. and Nerissa Bradshaw This Turtle Survey on Mauke was undertaken from 4 to 11 June 2012 to assess the abundance, distribution and population status of marine turtles. This involved beach surveys to evaluate the habitat and categorise its suitability for nesting, recording all […]