Pa Maretu Ariki
Encyclopedia
Pa Maretu Ariki was a sovereign of the Cook Islands
. He was the ariki
(king) of the Pa dynasty, one of the two chiefdoms of the Takitumu tribe on the island of Rarotonga
.
, the main island in the Cook Islands
in the South Pacific
. Obura was a missionary
and the husband of Pa Upoko (also known as Mere Pa or Mary Pa) the daughter of Pa Te Pou Ariki. They had no children and so adopted Maretu, who was the son of a Rarotongan woman and a Frenchman.
. In 1902 he was appointed an associate judge and advisor on native customs to the Rarotongan Land Titles Court.
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
. He was the ariki
Ariki
An Ariki , ‘Ariki , Aliki , Ali‘i , Ari'i or ‘Eiki is or was a member of a hereditary chiefly or noble rank in Polynesia.-Aotearoa Ariki:Political leadership or governance in Māori society has traditionally come from two...
(king) of the Pa dynasty, one of the two chiefdoms of the Takitumu tribe on the island of Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
.
Early life
Maretu was adopted by Obura, who was the son of Maretu I (1802–-80), one of the first Christian converts in 1823 on RarotongaRarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
, the main island in the Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
in the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
. Obura was a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
and the husband of Pa Upoko (also known as Mere Pa or Mary Pa) the daughter of Pa Te Pou Ariki. They had no children and so adopted Maretu, who was the son of a Rarotongan woman and a Frenchman.
Reign
Pa Maretu succeeded his mother to the title of ariki of Takitimu in 1895. Possibly because of his mixed ancestry, he was the only native high chief respected by both the Rarotongans and the New Zealand colonial administrator, Walter Edward GudgeonWalter Edward Gudgeon
Walter Edward Gudgeon CMG was born in London, England. He was a farmer, soldier, historian, land court judge and colonial administrator.-Early life:...
. In 1902 he was appointed an associate judge and advisor on native customs to the Rarotongan Land Titles Court.
Later life
He retained the title until his death in 1906 and was succeeded by Pa Tetianui Ariki (also adopted by Pa Upoko) on 16 February 1906.External links
- The Royal Family Lineage Tangiia-nui Takitumu
- Land Tenure in the Cook Islands Takitumu: the tribe of Tangiia - nzetc.org
- Collections Online - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (photographs)
Sources
- Maretu. Cannibals and Converts: Radical Change in the Cook Islands, translated, annotated and edited by Marjorie Tuainekore Crocombe. (Suva: University of the South Pacific Institute of Pacific Studies, 1983) ISBN 9820201667
- Gilson, Richard. The Cook Islands, 1820-1950, edited by Ron Crocombe. (Wellington: Victoria University Press; Suva: University of the South Pacific Institute of Pacific Studies, 1980) ISBN 0705507351