This story was told to me by Papa Ruatoto Henry. This is a story about his trip to Tahiti on Vaka Takitumu.

Journey to Tahiti

In 1995 he was selected by Puati as one of the crew to sail Vaka Takitumu. Puati is a high chief. Takitumu belongs to Pa Ariki and Kainuku Ariki. They travelled to French Polynesia, landed in Huahine where his wife comes from. From Huahine, they sailed out to Ra’iatea, where our tupuna started their journey back. From Ra’iatea, they slaughtered an eel and it became an argument between the people in Ra’iatea and the Takitumu voyagers. Papa Tura Koronui from his tribe challenged them and put them in their places as they are only caretakers, and they are the descendants of the Kupe and Tangiia, who sailed on the seven canoes to Aotearoa. They left Tahiti and sailed to the Marquesas. In the Marquesas, people said they were behind in life, but he believed that their lifestyle was ahead of us. He said this because this was how he lived his life now, just simple and surrounded by nature. Then, from the Marquesas, they sailed to Molokai, Hawaii, where our people were taken too, who caught the disease leprosy. They travelled to Hilo, where the lava was flowing into the ocean. The biggest religion from Tahiti and the Marquesas was Catholicism. In Hawaii, it was Mormon. From Hawaii, they came back home. Lastly, it would be hard to believe the story unless you travel to see the places the story was held.