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Papeiha (sometimes Papehia, Papeia, or Pepeia) (died 25 May 1867) was an evangelist of the 
In July 1823 Williams returned with several other missionaries who he planned to deliver to the southern Cook Islands, and collected Papeiha to return him to Raiatea. After several stopovers to drop off missionaries, they arrived at Rarotonga on July 25, 1823.Kloosterman (1976), p 48 The Rarotongans were not friendly, and the missionaries decided to leave. Papeiha offered to replace them, and swam ashore with the Bible tied to his head. He was joined five months later by a Raiatean preacher, Tiberio. The two men convinced the Rarotongans to burn their "idols" (wooden statues representing their ancestors) and destroy their
Papeiha (sometimes Papehia, Papeia, or Pepeia) (died 25 May 1867) was an evangelist of the London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed in outlook, with Congregational miss ...
. Trained by 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 ...
, he converted the islands of 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 ...
and 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 Cook Islands
)
, image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, capital = Avarua
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Avarua
, official_languages =
, lan ...
to Christianity.
Papehia was originally from Bora Bora
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 ...
and was trained at the Uturoa
Uturoa is a Communes of France, commune located in Raiatea, the largest island of the Leeward Islands (Society Islands), Îles Sous le Vent (Leeward Islands) in French Polynesia. It is situated in between the Administrative divisions of French P ...
mission station in Raiatea
Raiatea or Ra'iatea ( Tahitian: ''Ra‘iātea'') is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti, in French Polynesia. The island is widely regarded as the "centre" of the eastern islands in ancient Polynesia and it is likely that the ...
by John Williams. In October 1821 he and another Tahitian, Vahapata, were dropped off on Aitutaki by Williams, who was at the time travelling to Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
. They were welcomed by Tamatoa Ariki, one of the island chiefs. They were joined the next year by another preacher, Faaori, and over the next two years converted the island to Christianity.
In July 1823 Williams returned with several other missionaries who he planned to deliver to the southern Cook Islands, and collected Papeiha to return him to Raiatea. After several stopovers to drop off missionaries, they arrived at Rarotonga on July 25, 1823.Kloosterman (1976), p 48 The Rarotongans were not friendly, and the missionaries decided to leave. Papeiha offered to replace them, and swam ashore with the Bible tied to his head. He was joined five months later by a Raiatean preacher, Tiberio. The two men convinced the Rarotongans to burn their "idols" (wooden statues representing their ancestors) and destroy their marae
A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...
. They set up a chapel and began to preach. Further missionaries arrived in 1827 and 1828, and in 1830 the entire island had been converted.
In 1825 or 1826 Papeiha married Te Vaerua o te Rangi, the eldest daughter of Tinomana Enuarurutini Ariki, founding the lineage of Ngati Papehia. Together they had eight children: Te Upoko o Nga ariki (f), Tekao (m), Taromi (f), Rangitai (f), Isaia (m), Te Pori (f), Matoi (f), and Ani (f).
References
{{reflist People from Bora Bora category:1867 deaths Congregationalist missionaries in the Cook Islands