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Atiu, also known as Enuamanu (meaning ''land of the birds''), is an island of the Cook Islands
archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...
, lying in the central-southern Pacific Ocean. Part of the Nga-pu-Toru, it is northeast of
Rarotonga Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of , and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with 13,007 of a total population of 17,434. The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings a ...
. The island's population has dropped by two-thirds in the last 50 years.


Geography

Atiu is a raised volcanic island surrounded by a reef from which rise cliffs of fossilized
coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secre ...
(''makatea''). The makatea cliff forms a ring round the island, creating a virtual plateau. Erosion of the inside of the ring has formed a dip of about into fertile land, which gradually rises again to a central flat-topped hill. The low swampy land consists of taro plantations, marshes and a lake, Tiroto. This fertile area also grows bananas, citrus fruits, pawpaws,
breadfruit Breadfruit (''Artocarpus altilis'') is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family (Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of ''Artocarpus camansi'' originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippi ...
and coconuts. The island is surrounded by a fringing reef. The ''makatea'' is honeycombed with caves, some of which have been used for burials.


History

Polynesians Polynesians form an ethnolinguistic group of closely related people who are native to Polynesia (islands in the Polynesian Triangle), an expansive region of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. They trace their early prehistoric origins to Island Sou ...
are believed to have lived on Atiu since at least 900 or 1000 AD. According to oral tradition, Atiu is named for the first man on the island, who was fathered by Tangaroa. Other traditions identify various settlers, including Te Ariki-Mou-Taua, Mariri, and Nuku-kere-i-manu, as well as a visit by the navigator
Ruatapu Ruatapu was a son of the great chief Uenuku, and a master canoeist in Polynesian tradition who is said to have lived around 30 generations ago. Most Māori stories agree he was an older half-brother of Paikea and 69 other sons, while tra ...
. The island was unified in c.1760, and subsequently invaded and dominated neighbouring Mauke and Mitiaro. The first recorded European to arrive at Atiu was Captain Cook. He sighted the island on March 31, 1777, and made tentative contact with some of the people over the next few days. In early 1823 the missionary J.M. Orsmond left two
Borabora Bora Bora ( French: ''Bora-Bora''; Tahitian: ''Pora Pora'') is an island group in the Leeward Islands. The Leeward Islands comprise the western part of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, which is an overseas collectivity of the Frenc ...
n teachers on the island. Later that year
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...
of the London Missionary Society arrived and converted the island's leader, Rongomatane Ngaakaara Ariki, to Christianity. This resulted in the island's population being resettled in a single settlement in its centre. Conversion saw Atiu's dominance of its neighbours fade. In the 1860s Ngamaru Rongotini Ariki, ''ariki'' of Atiu, Mauke and Mitiaro, married
Makea Takau Ariki Makea Takau Ariki (1839–1911) was a sovereign of the Cook Islands. She was the ''ariki'' (queen) of the dynasty ''Makea Nui'' (Great Makea), one of the three chiefdoms of the tribe '' Te Au O Tonga'' (The mist of the south) on the island of ...
, a Rarotongan ''ariki''. As a result, in 1871 Atiu became part of the
Kingdom of Rarotonga The Kingdom of Rarotonga, ( rar, Mātāmuatanga Rarotonga) named after the island of Rarotonga, was an independent kingdom established in the present-day Cook Islands in 1858. In 1888 it became a protectorate of the United Kingdom by its own req ...
. In 1888 it became a British protectorate as part of the Cook Islands Federation. In 1901 it was annexed by New Zealand. Post-annexation the island exported oranges, coffee and copra, but exports were disrupted by poor shipping, and collapsed in the 1950s. The citrus industry was revived in the 1960s, but declined again in the 1970s. Lack of economic opportunity had already begun to drive emigration to
Rarotonga Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of , and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with 13,007 of a total population of 17,434. The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings a ...
in the 1950s, and the economic crisis of 1995 and 1996 and subsequent public sector reforms has led to the island's depopulation.


Demographics

Most human settlements are concentrated on the central hill. On 12 March 2003, the population of Atiu was 571, in five villages radiating out from the island's centre, giving the appearance of a human figure. The villages have essentially grown together into one since 1823. They represent the tapere subdivisions prior to European contact. With their traditional names, the villages are: *
Teenui Village Teenui-Kurukava, is a village on Atiu in the Cook Islands. The village of Teenui has a population of 107. Enua Airport and Atiu Harbour are located in the village. Teenui also contains one of the largest churches in the Cook Islands, Cook Islands C ...
(Te-Kuru-Kava-Nui) *
Mapumai Village Mapumai Village (Mapumai-Nui-O-Ruavari), is a village on Atiu in the Cook Islands. On Atiu, Mapumai Village plays an important role, because it houses Enuamanu School, radio Atiu, and more. The population Population typically refers to the ...
(Mapumai-Nui-O-Ruavari) *
Ngatiarua Village Ngatiarua (Mokoero-Nui-O-Tautipa) is a village on the island of Atiu in the Cook Islands. Ngatiarua is the island's biggest village. 32 people live in the village. The village chief is Ngamaru Ariki.Mareta, Isaac, M., Utakea, E., & Utakea, T. (2015) ...
(Mokoero-Nui-O-Tautipa) *
Areora Village Areora Village (Te-Are-O-Tangaroa), is a village on Atiu in the Cook Islands. Etymology The name Areora refers to the story behind the name of the village. "Are" means house and "Ora" means the lies of the chief. A carpenter Carpe ...
(Areora-Nui-Te-Are-O-Tangaroa) *
Tengatangi Village Tengatangi (Taturoa) is a village on Atiu in the Cook Islands. It forms part of the Tengatangi–Areora–Ngatiarua Tengatangi–Areora–Ngatiarua is a Cook Islands electoral division returning one member to the Cook Islands Parliament. Its ...
(Taturoa-I-Te-Puta-Marama) Each of the five villages in Atiu – visitors may not distinguish one from the other – has a meeting house which is very important to them. They are well maintained and the villagers have pride in them. In these houses they conduct village meetings and community functions like welcoming and feeding visitors, selling of products. Educational courses are conducted in these houses and when a big group from overseas visit they could be accommodated in here for the time they are on the island.Evaroa, B. (2015) Atiu Online: Points of Interest. Presentation at the Atiu Online: Developing Destination Content – Digital Enablement workshop, Atiu, 23 October 2015. Administratively, the small uninhabited island of Takutea, now a bird sanctuary, is considered part of Atiu.


Culture

The Atiuans call themselves ''Toke-enua no Enuamanu'' ("worms of Enuamanu") because they were born on Atiu and hope to be buried there. There was once a custom on Atiu similar to that of New Zealand Māori of burying a newborn child's placenta under a newly planted tree. This is the origin of the Atiuan saying: "We come from the land and go back to the land." 96% of the population identify themselves as Cook Islanders. 49.6% identify themselves as affiliated with the Cook Islands Christian Church, 21.3% as Roman Catholic, and 13.9% as Seventh-day Adventist. A local custom is the ''tumunu'' or bush beer party. Brewing was introduced to the island by whalers, but the consumption of alcohol was banned by the missionaries and remained illegal until the 1980s, leading to a culture of secret brewing in the jungle. Originally organised as a secret society, the ''tumunu'' is now marketed as a tourism experience.


Economy

Atiu's economy is heavily government-supported, with 50% of the workforce employed by the public-sector. Following the collapse of the citrus industry and subsequent depopulation of the island, facilities are limited to a few shops, a lodge, and one motel. There is some tourism, and Atiu is the second most-visited outer island after
Aitutaki Aitutaki, also traditionally known as Araura and Utataki, is the second most-populated island in the Cook Islands, after Rarotonga. It is an "almost atoll", with fifteen islets in a lagoon adjacent to the main island. Total land area is , and the ...
. A new plant nursery was opened in 2020. Atiu is connected to the rest of the Cook Islands by Enua Airport and a wharf at Taunganui Harbour. Previously powered by diesel generators, since 2018 it has been powered by a solar-battery power station.


Coffee

Atiu has a long history of growing coffee. Missionaries established it commercially in the early 19th century. By 1865, annual exports of coffee from the Cook Islands amounted to 30,000 pounds. The islands' ariki (high chiefs) controlled the land used for planting and received most of the returns. The commoners often saw little if any reward for their labour. In the late 1890s, Rarotongan coffee production suffered due to a blight that affected the plants. Coffee production declined and had to rely more on crops from the outer islands Atiu, Mauke and Mangaia. World Wars I and II resulted in a further export reduction and eventual standstill. In the 1950s the co-operative movement in the Cook Islands resulted in the re-establishment of coffee as a cash crop. On Atiu, under the supervision of New Zealand Resident Agent Ron Thorby and the Cook Islands Agriculture Department, new coffee plantations were established. The raw coffee was destined for export to New Zealand where it was processed and marketed. By 1983, the coffee industry had collapsed. Government stepped back and left the plantations to their landowners. The poor financial return from selling their coffee to a Rarotongan company for processing had prompted the farmers to stop production except for their own private use. The plantations were overgrown with creepers. Commercial coffee production was revived sometime in 1984, with the founding of Atiu Coffee Factory Ltd. by German economist Juergen Manske-Eimke. In 2012, the Atiu Coffee Factory managed of land and produced 4.5 tonnes of roasted beans. In 2015 the coffee factory closed and was taken over by Atiu Island Coffee.


Ecology


Flora

The flora of Atiu can be divided into five ecological zones.Menzies (1970), p. 13-15. The ''pa tai'' (coast) and ''Rautuitui'' (upland ''makatea''), are dominated by
coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
s and '' Pandanus tectorius'', with patches of '' Barringtonia asiatica'', '' Elaeocarpus tonganus'', and ''
Hernandia moerenhoutiana ''Hernandia moerenhoutiana'' (also known as Mountain Lantern-tree, Jack-in-the-box, ''Tūrina'', ''Puka Tūrina'' ( Cook Islands Māori), ''Pipi'' ( Samoan) or ''Pipi Tui'' ( Tongan)) is a species of flowering plant in the family Hernandiaceae ...
''. The ''Puna'' (swampy lowlands) are cultivated for taro, with grasses and forests in the drier parts. The ''Rautuanue'' (slopes) and ''maunga'' (mountain) are dominated by '' Platycerium'', '' Casuarina'', and crops of pineapple and yams. In 2017 the Moko‘ero Nui Nature Reserve was established on the western side of the island, protecting 120 hectares of coastal forest.


Fauna

Endemic birds include the
Pacific imperial pigeon The Pacific imperial pigeon (''Ducula pacifica'') is a widespread species of pigeon in the family Columbidae. It is found in American Samoa, the Cook Islands, the smaller islands of eastern Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, the smaller satellite islands of ...
,
chattering kingfisher The chattering kingfisher (''Todiramphus tutus'') is a species of bird in the kingfisher family Alcedinidae. The species is found in the Cook Islands and the Society Islands in French Polynesia. Taxonomy The chattering kingfisher was formally ...
, and
lilac-crowned fruit dove The lilac-crowned fruit dove (''Ptilinopus rarotongensis'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Cook Islands. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. ...
. The
Atiu swiftlet The Atiu swiftlet or Sawtell's Swiftlet (''Aerodramus sawtelli'') is a species of bird in the swift family, endemic to Atiu in the Cook Islands. This small, dark swift measures long. It is sooty-brown above, slightly lighter below. Its natural ...
or kopeka (''Aerodramus sawtelli''), a bird which uses echo-location, is found only on Atiu and nests inside
Anatakitaki Cave Anatakitaki Cave, or the Cave of the Kopekas, is a karst cave located in the northeast of Atiu, Cook Islands. The cave is a large solutional cave, with many offshoot chambers and passages. A freshwater lake is to be found at the base of the cave. ...
.
Subfossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in ...
remains show that the Polynesian ground dove, Polynesian imperial pigeon, and
Kuhl's lorikeet Kuhl's lorikeet (''Vini kuhlii''), also called the Rimitara lorikeet, Kuhl's lory, Manu 'Ura (local appellation) or Kura (Cook Islands), is a species of lorikeet in the family Psittaculidae. It is one of several species of '' Vini'' lorikeets fou ...
(Rimatara lorikeet, ''Vini kuhlii'') were all at one stage extant on Atiu before being extirpated. Because the island is free of
black rat The black rat (''Rattus rattus''), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus ''Rattus'', in the subfamily Murinae. It likely originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is n ...
s, it was chosen as a site for reintroduction of the Rarotonga monarch in 2001, and Kuhl's lorikeet in 2007. The latter has since become well-established, with a population of over 400 individuals. The common myna was introduced in 1915 in an effort to control the Coconut Stick-insect and has since become a major pest. In 2009 an eradication campaign was launched, involving trapping, poisoning and shooting. The bird was eradicated from the island in 2014, leading to an outbreak of stick insects in 2016. The island has been designated an
Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
(IBA) by
BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
.


See also

*
Mapumai Swamp Mapumai Swamp is the largest wetland in the Cook Islands. It is located in the north of Atiu, on the edge of the volcanic area. Its flora is dominated by ''Cladium'', giant bullrush, and ''Azolla filiculoides ''Azolla filiculoides'' (water fe ...


References


Further reading

*Atiu, an Island Community: An Island Community. By Ngatupuna Kautai. Published by [email protected], 1984. , , 207 page
Books.Google.com


External links


Atiu Island's website

Information and pictures



Island map


Seacology Seacology is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization headquartered in Berkeley, California, that works to preserve island ecosystems and cultures around the world. Founded in 1991, it began with the work of ethnobotanist Paul Alan Cox, wh ...
{{Authority control Islands of the Cook Islands Important Bird Areas of the Cook Islands