A '' rangatira '' was the title given to a minor chief in the
Cook Islands
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, image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, capital = Avarua
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Avarua
, official_languages =
, lan ...
- often someone who was closely related to an ''
ariki
An ariki (New Zealand, Cook Islands), ꞌariki (Easter Island), aliki (Tokelau, Tuvalu), ali‘i (Samoa, Hawai‘i), ari'i (Society Islands, Tahiti), aiki or hakaiki (Marquesas Islands), akariki (Gambier Islands) or ‘eiki (Tonga) is or was a mem ...
'' or ''
mataiapo A ''mataiapo'' or ''mata'iapo'' is a hereditary chiefly title in the Cook Islands. The head of a sub-tribe, subject to the ''ariki'' (paramount chief) as far as the whole tribe is concerned and owing him traditional allegiance, but otherwise largely ...
'', now usually by the younger brothers or sisters; the head of a branch of a ''rangatira'' or ''mataiapo'' family.
A ''rangatira'' title was usually inherited within a family. It was associated with a ''
tapere A Tapere or Sub-District is a low level of traditional land subdivision on five of the Southern Cook Islands (Rarotonga, Mangaia, Aitutaki, Atiu, and Mauke), comparable to the ahupua'a of the main Hawaiian Islands or to the kousapw of Pohnpei. Am ...
'' - the land on which the people of a village belonged. The ''rangatira'' could expect contributions of goods and services from the people of his village. The majority of his village population of which he was the head, would have come from his descent group.
A ''rangatira'' could only be created by the ''ariki'' who delegated authority to the ''rangatira'' in order to create a structure of support from within the ''tapere'' for the ''ariki''. This ''tapere'' support mechanism was stronger than that of the ''mataiapo'' because its population was larger.
[''The Cook Islands, 1820-1950''
by Richard Phillip Gilson, R. G. Crocombe (1980) p. 1]
Google books
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See also
*House of Ariki
The House of Ariki () is a parliamentary body in the Cook Islands. It is composed of Cook Islands high chiefs (''ariki''), appointed by the King's Representative. While it functions in a similar way to the House of Lords and the Senate of Canada ...
References
Titles
Noble titles
Government of the Cook Islands
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