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He married a woman whose father was English. (The pedigree chart shows her as Elizabeth Moehauti P. Gibson, whose father is Andrew Gibson, born in Liverpool England in 1813 and her mother as Vahinerii Moehauti Pupa). | He married a woman whose father was English. (The pedigree chart shows her as Elizabeth Moehauti P. Gibson, whose father is Andrew Gibson, born in Liverpool England in 1813 and her mother as Vahinerii Moehauti Pupa). | ||
My mother’s people were born in ''Taega ''(pronounced Taenga), which is in the western part of the ''Tuamotu Islands ''to the east of the Island of ''Anaa.'' | My mother’s people were born in ''Taega ''(pronounced Taenga), which is in the western part of the ''Tuamotu Islands ''to the east of the Island of ''Anaa.'' | ||
==== Sister Gisele Maeva Takanga Buchin Tehaavi's story: ==== | |||
''Queen Pomare fought against the Mamia chiefs. They finally all died out.'' | "A powerful sect which combined Tahitian traditions with Christian ideas called the ''Mamia ''rose up in the island of ''Tahiti ''in about 1827. They were rebelling against the teachings and power of the Christian missionaries. They had ''Mana, or power''. This sect did not keep the ways of ''Mana ''according to the ''Tup`una'', who are our ancestors. ''Mana'' is like the priesthood, and they did not keep the rules of it. To gain more power, the ''Mamaia'' told people they had to join them or be killed. The other choice was to flee. This sect and others, along with drought and over-population and seeking for freedom caused many of the people to migrate to other islands. | ||
''Queen Pomare fought against the Mamia chiefs. They finally all died out.'' | |||
My mother’s father’s family lived on the Island of ''Anaa'' in the ''Tuamotos.'' In 1845, the Mormon missionaries ''Benjamin Grouard and Addison Pratt'' were having great success on the island of ''Anaa. ''They baptized almost every inhabitant of the island, and there were 3,500 members and 7 branches of the Church in the late 1840's. The members were strong and faithful, and by 1852, the Church had spread, scattered on 20 islands. | My mother’s father’s family lived on the Island of ''Anaa'' in the ''Tuamotos.'' In 1845, the Mormon missionaries ''Benjamin Grouard and Addison Pratt'' were having great success on the island of ''Anaa. ''They baptized almost every inhabitant of the island, and there were 3,500 members and 7 branches of the Church in the late 1840's. The members were strong and faithful, and by 1852, the Church had spread, scattered on 20 islands. | ||
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The fathers and the oldest boys go diving. The men would dive down, sometimes as deep as 30 yards, holding their breath from 3 to 5 minutes. My grandfather ''(Kaheke Mariteragi or Fakapeka'') was one of the best divers. He could hold his breath for 5 minutes. He made 50 dives a day at the height of his manhood. There are sharks around, and they have to come up gradually after a dive so they won’t get the “bends” from the change in pressure. They have to stop diving at age 55 because it is so hard on them. | The fathers and the oldest boys go diving. The men would dive down, sometimes as deep as 30 yards, holding their breath from 3 to 5 minutes. My grandfather ''(Kaheke Mariteragi or Fakapeka'') was one of the best divers. He could hold his breath for 5 minutes. He made 50 dives a day at the height of his manhood. There are sharks around, and they have to come up gradually after a dive so they won’t get the “bends” from the change in pressure. They have to stop diving at age 55 because it is so hard on them. | ||
The women would make dresses, shirts, and bread to sell. They would dry the abalone meat and get the pearls and prepare the mother-of-pearl in the shells. They would sell the dried abalone meat, the pearls, and the mother of pearl to a Chinese owner. This owner would lend them the money to equip them for the diving voyage. They would dive for 3 weeks to earn the money to repay him. He would pay them for the rest of the things they had gotten from their labors. They lived for the rest of the year on this money, and would go to Tahiti to get the supplies they needed for the rest of the year. My Grandfather was Branch President at ''Faaite.'' When children are 8 years old they go to ''Makemo.'' | The women would make dresses, shirts, and bread to sell. They would dry the abalone meat and get the pearls and prepare the mother-of-pearl in the shells. They would sell the dried abalone meat, the pearls, and the mother of pearl to a Chinese owner. This owner would lend them the money to equip them for the diving voyage. They would dive for 3 weeks to earn the money to repay him. He would pay them for the rest of the things they had gotten from their labors. They lived for the rest of the year on this money, and would go to Tahiti to get the supplies they needed for the rest of the year. My Grandfather was Branch President at ''Faaite.'' When children are 8 years old they go to ''Makemo.'' | ||
My husband is ''Emile Auguste Tehaavi''. His parents are from the ''Leeward Islands, Huahine''. His family now lives in ''New Zealand''. People of the ''Tehaavi'' family are in the ''Cook Islands ''also. And in the ''Mangaia Islands near Rarotonga''. It took a fisherman 6 months to sail to ''Rarotonga'' from ''Tahiti'' a few years ago when he got lost. The winds and currents led him from ''Tahiti'' to ''Rarotonga.<br>''<br>My mother’s name was ''Teuruhei Kokura Mariteragi''. I was born on ''Hikueru''. Some of the people there have red hair. Some Stories about ''Hikueru'' are that the 5th king went to ''Bora Bora ''on his canoe to get his wife. It took him 5 months. The people had to prepare for long voyages, and had to navigate well to reach their destinations.<br><br>''Tumukiva,'' the 7th king, also went to ''Raiatea ''(near Bora Bora) to get his wife. | My husband is ''Emile Auguste Tehaavi''. His parents are from the ''Leeward Islands, Huahine''. His family now lives in ''New Zealand''. People of the ''Tehaavi'' family are in the ''Cook Islands ''also. And in the ''Mangaia Islands near Rarotonga''. It took a fisherman 6 months to sail to ''Rarotonga'' from ''Tahiti'' a few years ago when he got lost. The winds and currents led him from ''Tahiti'' to ''Rarotonga.<br>''<br>My mother’s name was ''Teuruhei Kokura Mariteragi''. I was born on ''Hikueru''. Some of the people there have red hair. Some Stories about ''Hikueru'' are that the 5th king went to ''Bora Bora ''on his canoe to get his wife. It took him 5 months. The people had to prepare for long voyages, and had to navigate well to reach their destinations.<br><br>''Tumukiva,'' the 7th king, also went to ''Raiatea ''(near Bora Bora) to get his wife. | ||
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My ancestors who built the chapel in ''Takaroa'' came from ''Mangareva''. They learned to build gothic style churches using crushed coral. The ''Takaroa'' chapel was rebuilt, but in the same style as the original one. It is the pride and joy of the Members there. My Great Grandfather, ''Kaheka Mariteragi'', took up the chapel the members of the Church had built in ''Fakareva ''and towed it to ''Takaroa'' on a platform between 2 canoes. There were no members in ''Fakareva ''any more, so he wanted it where the members would be. President ''Caumet'' published some pictures of the chapel in a book. He was one of the temple presidents in Tahiti. | My ancestors who built the chapel in ''Takaroa'' came from ''Mangareva''. They learned to build gothic style churches using crushed coral. The ''Takaroa'' chapel was rebuilt, but in the same style as the original one. It is the pride and joy of the Members there. My Great Grandfather, ''Kaheka Mariteragi'', took up the chapel the members of the Church had built in ''Fakareva ''and towed it to ''Takaroa'' on a platform between 2 canoes. There were no members in ''Fakareva ''any more, so he wanted it where the members would be. President ''Caumet'' published some pictures of the chapel in a book. He was one of the temple presidents in Tahiti. | ||
There is also a picture of the Mission Schooner. It was in use from 1950 to 1956. I sailed to all of the islands with the mission president when I was a member of the Church Band. He organized it and I was in it for 3 years. I later became a teacher in the elementary schools of our Church. Our home is now in Moorea, Tahiti. | There is also a picture of the Mission Schooner. It was in use from 1950 to 1956. I sailed to all of the islands with the mission president when I was a member of the Church Band. He organized it and I was in it for 3 years. I later became a teacher in the elementary schools of our Church. Our home is now in Moorea, Tahiti. " | ||