Jean-Marius Raapoto (1 January 1943 – 23 March 2025) was a

French Polynesia French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The t ...

n educator, academic and politician who served as a

Cabinet Minister A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ' prime minister', ' p ...

. He was a major advocate for the

Tahitian language Tahitian (autonym: , , part of , , languages of French Polynesia) correspond to "languages of natives from French Polynesia", and may in principle designate any of the seven indigenous languages spoken in French Polynesia. The Tahitian language s ...

, and served as Minister of Education in various governments between 2004 and 2009. Raapoto was the son of religious leader Samuel Raapoto and the brother of linguist

Turo Raapoto Turo a Raapoto or Turo Raapoto (sometimes spelled Duro Raapoto) (16 March 1948 – 7 May 2014) was a French Polynesian linguist, writer and theologian. He was the son of religious leader Samuel Raapoto and the brother of academic Jean-Marius Raapo ...

and journalist Etienne Raapoto.

Background

Raapoto was born in Papara on 1 January 1943. After attending university in

Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; ) is a large rural departments of France, department in south west France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and ...

he trained as a teacher at Normal school in

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

. He worked as a teacher, then as principal of Charles Viénot school, before returning to France to pursue a degree in linguistics. He taught at Pomare IV college, before becoming its principal in 1980. He later worked for the department of education, where he was an advocate of the

before becoming professor of ''Reo Mā’ohi'' at the

University of French Polynesia The University of French Polynesia () is a French university located in Puna'auia, French Polynesia. History Created by a decree of May 29, 1987, the university was originally called French Pacific University and was split between two sites ...

. In 1996, he graduated with a doctorate in language science. Raapoto died on 23 March 2025, at the age of 82.

Political career

In 1985, he founded the ''Ea no Maohinui'' party, and he was elected to the

Assembly of French Polynesia The Assembly of French Polynesia (, ; Tahitian: ''Te apoʻoraʻa rahi o te fenua Māʻohi'') is the unicameral legislature of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the French Republic. It is located at Place Tarahoi in Papeete, Tahiti. It wa ...

in the

1986 French Polynesian legislative election Legislative elections were held in French Polynesia on 16 March 1986 for the Territorial Assembly.1991 election. He later formed the ''Tireo'' party. In 1998, he contested the election to the

French Senate The Senate (, ) is the upper house of the French Parliament, with the lower house being the National Assembly (France), National Assembly, the two houses constituting the legislature of France. It is made up of 348 senators (''sénateurs'' and ...

, losing to

Gaston Flosse Gaston Flosse (born 24 June 1931) is a French Polynesian politician who has been President of French Polynesia on five separate occasions. He is currently a member of the Senate of France and has been a French junior minister under Jacques Chirac ...

. In June 2004, he was appointed Minister of Education in the cabinet of

Oscar Temaru Oscar Manutahi Temaru (born November 1, 1944) is a Tahitian politician. He has been the president of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France, on five occasions: in 2004, from 2005 to 2006, from 2007 to 2008, in 2009, and from 2011 to ...

. He was reappointed when Temaru regained the presidency in March 2005, but surrendered his portfolio in April 2006 to return to the Assembly to shore up Temaru's majority. He was later reappointed, and oversaw the trial of English-language and ''te reo'' education to pre-schoolers. Following the

2008 French Polynesian legislative election Early legislative elections were held in French Polynesia in early 2008. The first round was held on 27 January, with the second round on 10 February. The early elections was the first one to be conducted under a reformed electoral system. Backg ...

he was reappointed Education Minister in the coalition cabinet of

, but resigned as a Minister in April 2008 after Flosse lost a confidence vote and

Gaston Tong Sang Gaston Tong Sang (born 7 August 1949 in Bora Bora) is a French Polynesian politician and is the former President of French Polynesia. He served terms as President of French Polynesia from November 2009 until April 2011, from April 2008 until Fe ...

became president. He rejoined the Assembly in July 2008. He rejoined cabinet again as Education Minister when Temaru returned to power in February 2009. He was not reappointed to Temaru's fifth cabinet in 2011, instead serving as chair of the Assembly's education committee. After retiring from politics he worked for the town of Faaa, then moved to

Niau Niau is a small atoll in French Polynesia, in the commune of Fakarava (Tuamotu archipelago). This atoll has a broad fringing reef, a diameter of 8 km and an area of 53 km2. Niau's lagoon is swampy, hypersaline and entirely enclosed. ...

in the

Tuamotus The Tuamotu Archipelago or the Tuamotu Islands (, officially ) are a French Polynesian chain of just under 80 islands and atolls in the southern Pacific Ocean. They constitute the largest chain of atolls in the world, extending (from northwest to ...

where he opened a coconut oil mill. In 2019, he was appointed an officer of the

Order of Tahiti Nui The Order of Tahiti Nui was established on 5 June 1996 by the Assembly of French Polynesia to reward distinguished merit and achievements in the service to French Polynesia. History The Order of Tahiti Nui was established June 5, 1996 by resolut ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raapoto, Jean-Marius 1943 births 2025 deaths People from Tahiti French Polynesian academics French Polynesian schoolteachers French Polynesian civil servants Academic staff of the University of French Polynesia Members of the Assembly of French Polynesia Education ministers of French Polynesia Tavini Huiraatira politicians Recipients of orders, decorations, and medals of French Polynesia