Cook Island soldiers who served in the great War 1914 - 1918

Anzac Parade Saturday 25 April 2015, Manurewa Southmall...Me and my husband woke at 5.00am and decided, this is the day we're going to make the effort to attend the Anzac Parade. This is truly an awesome experience and quite moving the support from Manurewa community was amazing, just over seven thousand people attended the parade.
This part of the blog is dedicated to the Cook Island soldiers who were killed and wounded in action First World War 1914 - 1918.

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/cook-islands-roll-honour-boards Cook Islands Cook Islands Armistice Day notice, 1924 From the early 1920s, commemoration of the First World War in the Cook Islands was linked to Armistice Day, 11 November. Messages each year from the Cook Islands Department in Wellington to the Resident Commissioner, Rarotonga, stated: ‘HM the King has expressed wish for two minutes silence November 11, Armistice Day.’

In 1923 the message was extended: ‘His Majesty has expressed a wish that throughout the Empire special services should be held and two minutes silence observed at 11am, 11 November.’ From this date services were held in Rarotonga and the other islands in the Cook group were instructed to observe the two minutes’ silence. Resident Commissioner H.F. Ayson arranged for services to be held in all churches on Rarotonga. In Rarotonga two branches of the Returned Soldiers’ Association were formed, one for returned Cook Islanders and one for returned New Zealand expatriates, many of whom were working for the Administration. The Resident Commissioner invited the two associations to hold a combined church parade and later the Minister for the Cook Islands, Māui Pōmare, wrote to both RSAs in Rarotonga thanking them for combining for the service and urging them to work in harmony with their fellow soldiers.
By 1925 schoolchildren were being included in the commemoration. On 11 November 1925, special services were held in all the churches and at Avarua School the pupils saluted the flag. Short speeches were given by the Resident Commissioner, Makeanui Tinirau Ariki, George Karika DCM and Mr Binsted (the headmaster).

In 1926 the war memorial in Avarua was unveiled by the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson. That year the Armistice Day ceremonies were extended to include a parade of returned servicemen from the London Missionary Society (LMS) church in Avarua to the Soldiers’ Memorial, where a short service was held and wreaths were laid. All branches of the Administration and all shops closed for the day. The war memorial now provided a focus for commemoration services in Rarotonga.

In 1927 possibly the first Anzac Day service was held there, with returned servicemen placing wreaths at the monument and also on soldiers’ graves. Armistice Day continued to be marked in the normal way and it is not certain when 25 April became the more important of the two dates for the Cook Islands community.

Armistice Day, and later Anzac Day, was marked in the outer islands of the Cook group by two minutes’ silence. Resident Commissioner Ayson was keen to have honour boards prepared for each island so the names of those who served would be in view and there would be a focal point for commemoration services. In 1926 a committee of returned soldiers, including George Karika DCM and Pori Ngoroio Makea, was set up to check names and ensure spellings were correct before details were sent to New Zealand for the Public Works Department to make the boards. Honour boards were prepared for Aitutaki, Mangaia, Atiu, Mauke, Penrhyn, Manihiki, Rakahanga and Pukapuka. In March 1929 Ayson reported to Wellington that all had reached their destination and suitable unveiling ceremonies were being arranged, presumably on Anzac Day that year.
On Mangaia the RSA decided to build a war memorial with funds raised for the celebration of George V’s Silver Jubilee in 1935. Plans were drawn up, lists of names prepared, a site chosen and financial details settled. The Mangaia Soldiers’ Memorial was completed in time for Anzac Day 1936.

Acknowledgement to New Zealand History.net.nz, for the information and pictures. This information will be shared to all the Cook Island people, who takes the time to view this blog...especially to all the Mangaia people,who we have little knowledge of our fellow mens, great great grandfathers, great grandfathers who went to War World I.
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/cook-islands-roll-honour-boards
Aere ra, Aere ra e ngatupuna kia moe kotou...Te noo nei matou e maaraara uatu nei ia kotou.

Collection of Mangaia books

www.fashioncraz1.com

The pre-Christian history of Mangaia -- the southernmost of the Cook Islands -- was documented by Sir Peter Buck (Te Rangi Hiroa) in Mangaian Society, in 1934. Missing from the book was the final chapter, which documented changes in Mangaian society following the establishment of a London Missionary Society mission in 1824. That final chapter is published here for the first time. Buck describes changes to the social, economic, religious and political life of the island resulting from the mission. As spiritual power passed from the Mangaian gods to Jehovah, the marae were deserted, the images of the gods destroyed or given up, history and genealogy were modified in Biblical terms, restrictions placed on the sexual lives of young people and an oppressive system of mission laws -- the Blue Laws -- introduced to police behaviours. Dance, drama, music and traditional sports were outlawed or abandoned. But, as Buck points out, none of this was achieved without Mangaian participation, if only as accommodation, adaptation or resistance to change. Mangaia and the Mission provides new insights into the history of relations between the mission and the people of Mangaia, and provides further evidence to question the view that Pacific cultures succumbed passively to mission domination.

Patterns of the Past traces the history and practice of tattooing through the ancient oral traditions of the Cook Island people, as well as from reports of early Western visitors and rich archival material. The book looks at the current practices of contemporary Cook Island tattooists, what the tattoos mean and what techniques and instruments are traditionally used. More than 250 colour and black and white images included.

The book "Polynesian Tattoo Designs - Ocean Legacy" is a collection of 92 ocean themed Polynesian style tattoos with brief description of the meanings for each design along with their outlines, intended mainly for tattoo artists.

Add War and Succession in Mangaia is a political history of an island in the southern Cook Islands, from its social foundations until the advent of Christianity in the 1820s, as described by the 19th century tribal historian Mamae. Mangaian society was dominated by powerful warrior chiefs who warred with one another for political, social and economic dominance over the island's productive lands and its people. The successful contestant became the holder of the mangaia title and reigned supreme until challenged by another warrior chief who believed he had sufficient supporters to bring about a regime change. The stories of these chiefly battles for supreme power form the basis of this work.

  

Mangaia Island random photos

Welcome sign - Mangaia Airport

Beach near the Airport, heading to Oneroa

Ivirua pathway to the beach...

Ivirua pathway to the beach...

Beach near the Airport, heading to Oneroa

 Inland - Ivirua village..

Harbour in Oneroa

Church in Ivirua

Mangaia Airport


Mangaia historical masks 

VAIPO, Kapitirua (Mama Piti Vaipo)

Passed away on Tuesday 24th November 2009. 

Loving wife of the late Vaipo Vaipo Kavana and loving daughter of the late Papa Akaiti Ponga Kavana and Mama Vainerua Ponga. 

Loving mother of the late Mary, the late Julian, Noomaara, Papaiti (Keni), Teina Vaipo-Girard, Paul, Ani Vaipo-Sakaria, Rima and Tamaka. 

Loving sister of Mama Maki Teau, Poitirere Tupekea, Rautiare Spellman, Roiroi Makikiriti, Tangimama and Toko and the late Turiongo, Karangareka, Araturi, Mareta, Ukinga and Mataora. 

Loving sisterinlaw of Kite Ponga. 

http://www.familyarchives.co.nz/ViewNotice.aspx?nid=13178

Stories from the past...My grandmother (Mamapiti Vaipo) is a unique women and great historic storyteller.  I have heard many great stories from the past, this one I must tell or blog otherwise the verbal knowledge of an old wise one will vanish.

Aotearoa (New Zealand) – Anne or Ani Wihongi as known to our family.

Anne Wihongi a farmers daughter, destination of belonging, North of New Zealand around the Hokianga or Kaikohe area.  
Rimataei, our great great great grandfather came to New Zealand in the early 1950 and worked on the Wihongi farmer and so meet and falls in love with Anne Wihongi.  

Anne at this stage is a widow and were forbidden to fall in love.  To cut the story short Anne and Rimataei left New Zealand and settled in Mangaia(Cook Island), married and had beautiful children to name one (Akaiti Ponga) picture above.
Anne Whiongo is of Maori and Pakeha descendant, her love and courage to leave her family in Aotearoa over our great great great father is profoundly a mystery one could never understand.
Anne Whiongi, is a great woman who founded our family existence to this world.  A history that most of our wider families in New Zealand and Australia did not heard about.

Anne Wihongi passed away on the Island of Mangaia with her husband Rimataei, she did not return to Aotearoa New Zealand.  

When she passed, her last words to the whanau were not to look or find where she came from in Aoteroa.  Why? we will not go there, but to respect her wishes.  Ani or Anne is buried on the island of Mangaia, Karanga village.  

In loving memory of Anne Wihongi and Rimataei,

 may you rest in peace?