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Papeete, Tahiti is the capital. The population is about 92,000. About half of the people live on the island of Tahiti.  
Papeete, Tahiti is the capital. The population is about 92,000. About half of the people live on the island of Tahiti.  


==== '''When we put our family history together, we may not have many dates to work with. Because of this, we need to ''study the history of the islands where our ancestors lived by starting with the historical background for the island group of our ancestors''. Historical dates from these publications and from the Internet can be used to estimate the dates of our ancestors’ lives more accurately.''' ====
==== Family History Work <br><span id="fck_dom_range_temp_1243887901875_61" />Instructions for French Polynesian Family History work from Ives Perrin:&nbsp; ====


'''To see a time line for each of the island groups and to find research resources for them, please click on each island group separately.&nbsp; This is because the Wiki can only hold certain amounts of information at one time, so it has been separated into sections.'''
Ives Perrin served as LDS Mission President in Tahiti, and as a Church educator in the islands of French Polynesia for several years. His suggestions for the steps a person from French Polynesia should take to get records after interviewing family members are as follows:
 
'''1. We must secure an official government record.<br>'''Citizens are required to do this by law, but people on the outer islands sometimes put it off. People have a Polynesian name and an official French name. We must have the French name when we declare births with the government. We can find our parents’ records, which tell where we are from.
 
'''2. We can then go to the Family History Center in Papeete and ask for help from the directors.<br>'''Presently, Elder and Sister Gautier are the FHC Directors. They both are fluent in French, and Sister Gautier knows Tahitian. They both understand the full situation of getting access to records.
 
'''3. A person needs to know the French language to use the government records.<br>If we do not speak French, we should ask a translator to go with us.'''
 
'''4. We can use the Family History Library Catalog to gain access to the records the Family History Library has.'''
 
One oral genealogy which a member gave to Ives contained 77 generations. It is also in the Family History Library Catalog under the '''subject French Polynesia - Church History'''. It also appears in the book ''Seasons of Faith and Courage, ''by S. George Ellsworth and Kathleen C. Perrin, Published by Yves R. Perrin. This book is also in the Family History Library Catalog.
 
Ives recommended that we read the book ''Tahiti in Ancient Days''. It has information about Thor Heyerdahl’s expeditions. Another book with information about Heyerdahl’s research is ''American Indians in the Pacific.''
 
'''Resources available '''<br>Use the Family History Library Catalog.
 
Go to the Internet at '''familysearch.org '''and click on the'''Library'''. From that tab, click on the '''Family History Library Catalog.''' We can '''type in French Polynesia '''to get a list of the islands and island groups and to see what records were made under this large jurisdiction. Then we should '''type in the name of each island group '''for records in that jurisdiction and then type in the '''name of the island''' that interests you. On ''Tahiti,'' records are listed under the name of the'''town.''' Also, we should do a keyword search on Tahiti. Over 220 items will appear.<br>Note: All of these islands are a protectorate of '''''France.''''' The people of these islands are full citizens of France. School children must learn French history. French is the governing language, and the civil records are kept in French. Jurisdictions are organized the same way <br>'''Births, marriages, and deaths are recorded by the government, and citizens are required to have an official government record'''. Tables are published by the government every ten years giving an '''index to the names in the records.''' This facilitates genealogical research up to the time when the French first came to the islands. They have been keeping records since the early 1800's. <br>Notarial records are available from the year 1862. <br>Large numbers of civil registration records are available from 1843. <br>A large number of oral genealogies and land records are also available. <br>Tahiti: 795887, 795889<br>Tuamotos: 795889 <br>'''When we put our family history together, we may not have many dates to work with. Because of this, we need to ''study the history of the islands where our ancestors lived by starting with the historical background for the island group of our ancestors''. Historical dates from these publications and from the Internet can be used to estimate the dates of our ancestors’ lives more accurately.'''
 
'''To see a time line for each of the island groups and to find research resources for them, please click on each island group separately.&nbsp; This is because the Wiki can only hold certain amounts of information at one time, so it has been separated into sections.'''  


==== Case Study: Gisele Maeva Takanga Buchin Tehaavi, including historical background  ====
==== Case Study: Gisele Maeva Takanga Buchin Tehaavi, including historical background  ====
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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.  
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.  


“The Sacred Land of Hawaiki” which some Maoris refer to as the place where their ancestors came from is ''Raiatea,'' in the ''Leeward Islands''. They call it ''“Hawaiki Nui”'' and it has a place on it called ''“Taputaputea,” ''which is a holy place. It is a small triangle of land and it contains a wooden platform which is built high and has three levels. The levels represent to the islanders what we think of as Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial glories. (There is a picture of one of these “prayer platforms” in Cole and Jensen’s ''Israel in the Pacific,'' Page 146.)&nbsp;
“The Sacred Land of Hawaiki” which some Maoris refer to as the place where their ancestors came from is ''Raiatea,'' in the ''Leeward Islands''. They call it ''“Hawaiki Nui”'' and it has a place on it called ''“Taputaputea,” ''which is a holy place. It is a small triangle of land and it contains a wooden platform which is built high and has three levels. The levels represent to the islanders what we think of as Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial glories. (There is a picture of one of these “prayer platforms” in Cole and Jensen’s ''Israel in the Pacific,'' Page 146.)&nbsp;  


Each island had ataputaputea, which would face either north, south, east, or west. At the time when the ''Mamaia'' were in power, they destroyed many of these ''Taputaputeas'' in order to bring down the power of the priests.  
Each island had ataputaputea, which would face either north, south, east, or west. At the time when the ''Mamaia'' were in power, they destroyed many of these ''Taputaputeas'' in order to bring down the power of the priests.  
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''Queen Pomare ''fought against the ''Mamia'' chiefs. They finally all died out.  
''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'''''<i>.</i> 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'''''<i>.</i> 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.'''  


The Catholic Church, being the national church of the ''French Protectorate ''which was in power at the time, became concerned and started to persecute the Mormons. '''They passed a law against Mormons meeting together, even in family homes.''' They were forbidden to read, sing, and pray, and were continually watched.  
The Catholic Church, being the national church of the ''French Protectorate ''which was in power at the time, became concerned and started to persecute the Mormons. '''They passed a law against Mormons meeting together, even in family homes.''' They were forbidden to read, sing, and pray, and were continually watched.  
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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''.  


&nbsp;See also the Portal: French Polynesia in FamilySearch Research Wiki.&nbsp;
&nbsp;See also the Portal: French Polynesia in FamilySearch Research Wiki.&nbsp;  


''[[Fiji timeline|Fiji]] &nbsp;&lt; &nbsp;Previous&nbsp; | &nbsp;Next&nbsp; &gt;&nbsp; [[Austral Islands|Austral Islands]]''  
''[[Fiji timeline|Fiji]] &nbsp;&lt; &nbsp;Previous&nbsp; | &nbsp;Next&nbsp; &gt;&nbsp; [[Austral Islands|Austral Islands]]''  


[[Category:French_Polynesia]] [[Category:Pacific_Island_Research]]
[[Category:French_Polynesia]] [[Category:Pacific_Island_Research]]
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