Historian and author Howard Henry has been fascinated by the birth of Christianity in the Cook Islands for many years. In a weekly series, Henry chronicles the arrival of Christianity to the Cook Islands and its role in building the nation.

It was apparently sometime during mid-1824, that Pa Ariki told Papehia that he wanted to change his “Religious Allegiance” and embrace the Christian faith.

As a result of this, Papehia then told Pa Ariki that as a Christian, he was now expected to travel to the northern side of Rarotonga every Friday for weekend church related activities.

However, Pa Ariki was not overly enthusiastic to such an idea. But in the end Papehia was able to convince Pa Ariki to travel to the northern side of Rarotonga the following weekend.

When Tinomana Ariki and many of his tribe from Puaikura turned up for church the following Friday afternoon, they then found to their great surprise that Pa Ariki and many of his tribe from Takitumu were already there, seated and waiting for proceedings to begin.

Both men and their respective tribes had been involved with on-and-off conflicts over many years previous.

While there was no open hatred between the two Ariki, there was major mistrust between them and the arrival of Tinomana Ariki and members of his tribe certainly brought an air of extreme tension to the church gathering.

When Papehia entered the church, he was very much aware of this tension situation.

So his sermon of that day was based upon the concept that . . .  “All Christians are children of God”.

Papehia went on to say that the people of Rarotonga had to put aside their differences and had to live and work together side by side.

Papehia said that because many of the people on Rarotonga had accepted the “True God”, then they had to accept the ways of the Lord which meant that they had to live in peace and harmony with each other because that was the Christian way.

As the weeks went by into late 1824, the burden for people to travel from Puaikura and Takitumu to the northern side of Rarotonga in order to attend Church related activities, over a period of several days, had began to take its toll.

Papehia now realised this situation was starting to test the faith of many who had been converted.

So he approached Makea Pori and asked if some land could be made available so the people from the outer districts could build themselves proper homes in which to live on a semi-permanent basis.

In due course Makea Pori agreed and allocated a portion of land specifically for this purpose. In effect, this was the coastal strip of land which constitutes much of the Avarua Township today, extending from Upper Tupapa to the vicinity of Avarua Harbour.

This land was virtually barren as it was made up of coral rock that had been washed ashore by successive hurricanes over the centuries.

Papehia prepared a sub-division plan for this land, including a roading network.

He then allocated sections among those families from Puaikura and Takitumu, as well as those from Te-au-o-Tonga who had changed their “Religious Allegiance” so they could then build their own homes.

     . . . and so the village of Avarua came into existence.

While the various homes were being constructed, Papehia was already planning the construction of a second chapel that was to be larger and more substantial than the temporary building which had been previously erected.

So once the various homes had been built, attention then turned to the portion of land Makea Pori had given for the site of the second chapel.

 Writing in his Narrative many years later, Papehia stated:

“When the church was completed we left it alone and waited for a missionary to arrive and perform the opening ceremony. We waited and waited, but eventually performed the opening ceremony ourselves.”

For the sermon of that day, in late 1824, Papehia took his text from

Acts Chapter 7, verse 47…“But it was Solomon who built him a house.”

It was during the time when the second chapel was being built that Makea Tinirau Ariki, or Makea Metua who was the father of Makea Pori, decided to end his exile in the hills of Maungaroa, and return to Te-au-o-Tonga.

It was also during this time that Kainuku Ariki began travelling from Takitumu to attend church services.

While many of his tribe were still hostile towards Christianity, Kainuku Ariki went against many of his tribesmen and so followed Pa Ariki to Avarua where he eventually took up residence.

Reverend Robert Bourne had first visited Rarotonga with Reverend Williams in July 1823. But he did not land.

In October 1825 he returned aboard the Mission Ship Haweis to check on what progress Papehia and Tiberio had made.

Prior to his departure, the missionary told Papehia that he would give a very favourable report about him to Rev John Williams as well as directly to the London Missionary Society in England.

At some point subsequent to this, Tinomana Ariki of Puaikura and Makea Pori of Te-au-o-Tonga, got together and selected the two women, who they then declared, were destined to become the wives to Papehia and Tiberio.

This was their decision alone and a move that subsequently received total support from the entire Christian community.

These two men therefore decided that :

1. Papehia was to marry Te-Vaerua-o-te-Rangi. She was the eldest daughter of Tinomana Ariki and a grand-daughter of Pa Ariki as a result of his daughter, Tepori being the first wife of Tinomana Ariki.
2. Tiberio was going to marry Te Vaerua. She was the eldest daughter of Makea Pori.

 While the idea of arranged marriages by way of Ariki Allocation was not a Christian way of doing such things, both Papehia and Tiberio soon realised the enhanced status they would both achieve by marrying these two women who were the daughters of two very significant men on Rarotonga.

 However, Papehia told both Tinomana Ariki and Makea Pori that they had to wait for a missionary, or a fellow “native teacher” to arrive in order for them to be married.

Papehia said that he and Tiberio could not marry each other.

As a result of that understanding, the daughters of Tinomana Ariki and Makea Pori would then turn up each morning at the home of Papehia and Tiberio to clean the house, cook food and perform all the various other domestic duties.

When dusk descended, they would retreat to nearby quarters where they slept under guard by men from the two tribes concerned.

In early 1826, Mataitai arrived at Rarotonga from Aitutaki.

 

He had originally been left there by Rev John Williams as a replacement for Papehia in mid-1823.

 

However, in 1826 a major dispute apparently developed on the island which has never been clearly explained.

 

So Mataitai and ten others left Aitutaki on an ocean-going canoe and subsequently sailed to Rarotonga.

 

Upon his arrival, Mataitai was taken in by Papehia and so he became the third “Native Teacher” from the London Missionary Society to be based on Rarotonga.

 

The ten men from Aitutaki then assimilated themselves into the Christian community at Avarua. They never returned to Aitutaki.

Soon after Mataitai arrived at Rarotonga, he then conducted the marriages of both Papehia and Tiberio.

These two marriages were carried out on the same day as originally organised and planned by Tinomana Ariki and Makea Pori.

Sometime towards the end of 1826, Makea Tinirau Ariki died. He was succeeded by Makea Pori Ariki.

Mataitai and his followers from Aitutaki went on a tour of Rarotonga during the later part of 1826.

When they arrived at the shores of the Ngatangiia Harbour, at the place where the Cumberland had been at anchor in 1814, they discovered a large number of people had gathered and were waiting for them.

Mataitai later went to the home of Puretuare where a large crowd gathered to hear him talk about Tahiti and other places he had visited.

He also talked about Christianity, the Bible as well as the life and times of Jesus Christ.

A short time later, Mataitai wrote to Papehia and Tiberio.

He told them where he was and then stated “The people have held me back and persuaded me to stay here. I will remain here and plant the tree of knowledge. Your tree is already growing there in Avarua”.

This letter was then delivered to Avarua and a short time later Mataitai received a reply from Tiberio which said “Come here . . . and we will discuss this matter with the High Chiefs”. 

In duecourse Mataitai arrived at Avarua where he met with Papehia and Tiberio.

After some discussion it was decided that Papehia and Tiberio would go to Takitumu and evaluate the situation, while Mataitai was to remain at Avarua to carry on their Church related activities while they were away.

When Papehia and Tiberio reached Takitumu, they were told by many people that they were tired of travelling to Avarua and so wanted to have their own chapel and schooling in Takitumu.

This situation was supported by both Pa and Kainuku Ariki. 

What Mataitai had actually done was to bring to a head an issue that had been simmering beneath the surface within the Christian community of Avarua for some considerable time. 

The main point of contention was the opposition of Pa, Kainuku, Karika and Tinomana Ariki towards Makea Pori Ariki.

In this regard, Makea Pori Ariki took the view that because the other four Ariki were living in “his district” of Te-au-o-Tonga, then, he had superiority over all four of them.

In addition to that, Papehia, Tiberio and the church were also residents on his land and the “mana” associated with this further enhanced Makea Pori Ariki’s claim that he should be regarded as the Paramount Ariki of Rarotonga.  

Matters finally came to a head when Papehia and Tiberio went to Takitumu.

Both Pa and Kainuku Ariki told Papehia quite sternly that they and their followers would not be going back to Avarua.

They refused to be treated as subservient to Makea Pori Ariki and the Ngati Makea.

At this juncture Papehia now realised that he had something like a small revolt on his hands.

So Papehia came up with a solution which he thought would solve the whole problem.

He decided that he would remain at the Christian Village in Avarua, while Tiberio, who was actually “senior” to Mataitai in terms of “Native Teacher Christian Ranking”, would be relocated to Takitumu.

So a second “Christian Village” on Rarotonga would then be established in that district.

While this plan appeared to settle one set of arguments . . . it then opened up another dispute.

Both Tinomana and Karika Ariki later told Papehia that if Tiberio was going to Takitumu, and being responsible for the Mission Station over there, then they and their followers wanted to go to Takitumu as well.

Like Pa and Kainuku Ariki, these two Ariki also thought that Makea Pori Ariki was acting too much like a Paramount Chief and said that they and their followers would be moving to Takitumu at the first available opportunity.

Now Papehia found himself with an even greater “problem” on his hands.

He had already made the declaration that Takitumu could have its own Mission Station.

So Papehia could not change his mind in that regard.

But then to be told that virtually everyone in the Christian Village of Avarua, with the exception of Makea Pori Ariki and his tribe, would be moving to Takitumu as well, took Papehia completely by surprise.

He tried to persuade Tinomana and Karika Ariki to remain within the Christian Village of Avarua.

But both Ariki were adamant.

They and their respective tribes-people were leaving Avarua and so were going with Tiberio to Takitumu.

By now Papehia realised the balance of “Political Power” on Rarotonga had shifted significantly.

No one from outside Avarua wanted to live in the same district with Makea Pori Ariki and his tribe.

So these other Ariki, and their respective tribes, then collectively “banded together” to reject Avarua as the main Christian Village and so chose to relocate themselves to Takitumu instead.

As a result of all of this, Papehia then had to re-evaluate the whole situation.

In due course he came to a final decision.

This being that he and Tiberio would relocate to Takitumu along with Pa, Kainuku, Tinomana and Karika Ariki and their respective tribes-people which constituted the vast majority of Christians.

He further decided that Mataitai would remain in Avarua with Makea Pori Ariki and his tribe of Te-au-o-Tonga.

Once that decision had been confirmed, Pa and Kainuku Ariki then made land available which Papehia subsequently sub-divided into house-sites and so the village of Ngatangiia came into existence.

In addition to that, Pa and Kainuku Ariki gave Papehia considerable land for a church to be built right opposite the entrance to Ngatangiia Harbour upon which, it was envisaged, that their church building would eventually be built (and it subsequently was).  

About a month after the main Christian Village had shifted to Ngatangiia, a ship called at Avarua.

For reasons that were never clearly explained, Mataitai decided to abandon his post and “do-a-runner”.

He therefore boarded this ship and left Rarotonga . . . never to be seen or heard of again.

This vessel did not belong to the London Missionary Society. More likely it was a whaler or trading vessel.

To quote the words of several people from that time “Mataitai simply ran away from us!”.

Never-the-less, Mataitai departed Rarotonga “for good”.

So Makea Pori Ariki and his tribe were now left alone and “religiously stranded” in Avarua.

When Papehia heard what had happened, he went to Avarua to see Makea Pori Ariki.

In due course Papehia convinced he and many of his tribes-people to leave Avarua and to relocate themselves to Ngatangiia.

This they did a short time later.

And so as 1826 came to an end, the full relocation of the Christian Village from Avarua in Te-au-o-Tonga to Ngatangiia in Takitumu was now complete.

But only time would tell, as to how long such an arrangement like this would last.

References : “Maretu’s Narrative of Cook Islands History”, Translated by Marjorie Crocombe, University of Papua New Guinea, December 1974.

: Papehia Manuscript : “An Account of the coming of the word of God to Rarotonga”, Polynesian Society, Wellington, NZ, 1930.

  : Howard Henry : “Christianity created a Nation”,                                             Sovereign Pacific Publishing Company, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 2021.