Images from the Mangaia Trade Stand at Pasifika, Auckland March 2008

Mangaia stand

Inside Te Marae Kapeu Tara

Images of Mangaia Craft inside Te Marae Kapeu Tara at the Punanga Nui Markets on Rarotonga, 14 March 2008.

Mangaia Hut Opening at Punanganui, Friday 22 February 2008

The Mangaia Shop "Te Marae Kapeu Tara" (Craft House) was opened at the Punanganui by the Honourable Ngamau Munakoa("Aunty Mau") Minister for Home Affairs.

A delegation from the Mangaia Historical Society travelled to Rarotonga for the Opening. Their leader Mr Tuaiva Mautairi spoke on the story of Mangaia Craft including the kaa tie and carving techniques brought to the island from Tahiti by the father of Rori the famous carver from the Raei.

Tourism Conference 15 - 18 February, 2008

The Cook Islands Tourism Conference held on Rarotonga was an important workshop covering various aspect of the Cook Islands Tourism Industry, including -

1) An indication of impact of tourism on the Cook Islands economy.
eg. the income and employment generated by the industry

2) The challanges the industry faces today and into the future.
eg. the cost of airfares getting to the Cook Islands; enviromental impacts: etc.

3) The promotion of Cook Islands product to wholesalers overseas.
eg. Mangaia as cultural tourism destination, safe and peaceful destination; accomodations and services available.

4) The importance of marketing strategies eg. direct and indirect marketing. Net-working or partnership with other tourism operators, promoting each other. Self promotion.

5) The role of Cook Islands Tourism Corporation.
eg. Net work with wholesalers overseas and road show promotions.

It was a very useful four days and it helped me a lot in understanding the industry and to pass on this knowledge to existing and potential tour operators on the island

TAPA MAKING WORKSHOP ON MANGAIA

Joint Project Mangaia Historical and Cultural Society, Mangaia Tourism and Cultural Office, USP Cook Islands campus.

August 2006 Mire Tarai Vaka, Rarotonga

The Mangaia vaka : Te A'o o te Uki

Above are some of the pictures from the 2006 Mire Tarai Vaka.

The purpose of this event continues to be to revive the art of canoe building in the Cook Islands and was associated with the Maeva Nui theme for 2006 on Vaka Moemoea. Most island stook part in the event.

A'UA'U PARTICIPATES IN MIRE TARAI VAKA, NOVEMBER 2007

Below are some images from the Mangaia Historical and Cultural Society participants at the Mire Tarai Vaka which began 12 November, 2007 in the Park across the road from the Banana Court in downtown Avarua, Rarotonga.

All the inhabited islands of the Cooks (except Palmerston) are represented by teams of ta'unga tarai at the event.

The Mangaia Historical and Cultural Society team are using their time in Rarotonga to

(a) sell local craft

(b) construct a small Mangaia trading store for Mangaia people to sell crafts and produce at the Punanga Nui Market.

(copyright) Mangaia Historical and Cultural Society

MANGAIA WINS FIRST PLACE AT 2007 TRADE FAIR...

The Mangaia stand at the Trade Fair

Proud mother looks on from the sidelines ....

The Trade Day Team

The Mangaia team started preparation for the Trade Day on Thursday evening, tying kikau around the six posts of the allocated area for our booth, in readiness for Friday morning.

At 5.00am, Friday we started setting up the booth - three tables, two tree branches, and two wooden rails - to display our craft work from Mangaia. The goods on display included stone pounders, stone adzes, stone necklaces and ear rings, pandanus mats, hats, and kete.

Other craftwork included kikau baskets, flower headbands, spears, pareu, quilts, pillow cases, rag dolls, ei pupu, ava flowers, shell ei's, walking sticks, tipi-papa, (pandanus leaves on reels) etc.

We managed to sell over $7,000 worth of craft.

The goods on display from Mangaia were far in excess of anything else on display and Mangaia was awarded the trophy for the best stand of the fair.

Presentation of the award.

Mangaia Ura pau ( Drum Dance )

The Mangaia ura pau was held on Wednesday night and was one of the main features. The girls were wearing green pareu kiriau with a black and white hibiscus 'sporran' attached to their waist band and a headdress with purple feathers on the crown. The boys were wearing white pareu kirau with a green, black, and white waistband with purple, white and green headband and a white kiriau necklace. The stage preparation took some time but we hope that it did not exceed 10 minutes which would cost the group some points. Akameitaki anga i te pupu ura pau o te Mangaia no ta ratou ura pau manea. Tangi ke!

LOOKING BACK

Check out the Mangaia ura pau from the 2005 and 2006 Maire Nui

2005




2006

Report on ute

Tuesday 2nd August 2007-Mangaia took to the stage with their ute,"The orama of Arokapiti" forseeing the arrival of the missionaries on their first visit when the Mangaians refused to accept them.There were 58 people on stage, the men wearing limegreen pareu with neck ei and head ei of rauti. The women were wearing plain yellow wrap around with the same rauti neck and head wear.3 minutes into the ute, a couple of the mamas got into action. Nga Maungaati left his position to go to the front and join in the action which got the crowd excited.About 150 dollars in floor money was donated by the crowd.The Prime Minister and his deputy sheriff were there and the rest of the crowd was hard to see from my position on the stage. We got a big applause at the end of the performance but no idea where we stand in the judging and we wont know until Saturday.

SIMPLY STUNNING

The Kapa Rima was last night - write up in the Cook Islands News called it "simply stunning." The action song was based on the Vision or Orama of Numangatini - where he forsaw the arrival of the Christians and the establishment of 'Gods town' in Oneroa.

Saturday 28 July, 2007

Funeral of Papa Tom Davis, KBE

Papa Tom was laid to rest today in a state funeral. Au'au Enua was asked to provide pall bearers for the funeral procession from Strickfair in Tupapa to the Portofino restuarant. Mangaia was also asked to perform the eva or dirge from Strickfair to Taputapuatea. This was well received as no other island had the eva.

FORGOT TO MENTION .....

The human spit

I forgot to mention that Mangaia won first prize in the Float Competition - the theme was life before Christianity, with lots of people being actively roasted on the spit. The prize was $700 - not much of a reward for all the hard work - but anyway.

The 'ancient gods' on the float parade

"Mangaian etene" on a semi-trailer