Tefa'aora I

Tefa'aora I (c. 1780–1826) also known as Vaitumata'ata, was a prominent chief of Bora Bora during a period characterized by inter-island warfare and sociopolitical upheaval throughout the Society Islands in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. A descendant of the Ma'i lineage, he governed Bora Bora jointly with his cousin Ma'i III and played an active role in resisting external threats, particularly the expansionist campaigns led by Tapoa I. Despite this resistance, Tapoa succeeded in subjugating Bora Bora in late 1804, subsequently appointing Tefa'aora and Ma'i as his local representatives. Together with the other chiefs of the Leeward Islands, they supported King Pōmare II's successful campaign to reclaim Tahiti, thereby contributing to the broader political unification of the Society Islands. Tefa'aora also played a significant role in the Christianization of the Leeward Islands, advocating for the abandonment of traditional religious practices following the Battle of Fe'i Pi in November 1815. His influence waned with the growing authority of missionaries. Tefa'aora I died in 1826 and was succeeded by his son, Tefa'aora II, and later by his grandson, Tefa'aora III, who preserved the political legacy of his lineage into the mid-nineteenth century.

Tefa'aora I
Ari'i of Bora Bora
Co-regent of Bora Bora
Tenure	c. 1800– October 1812
Co-king of Bora Bora
Reign	October 1812 – 1826
Predecessor	Tapoa I
Successor	Tefa'aora II
Born	c.1780 Bora Bora
Died	1826 (aged 46) Bora Bora
Spouse	Tehapai v.
Issue	Tapeta Farepiti v.
Names Tefa'aora Vaitumata'ata
House	House of Ma'i
Mother	Tera'inuipoia

Family

Tefa'aora I was likely born around 1780, a period marked by intense intertribal warfare and inter-island hostilities, accompanied by the widespread practice of ritual human sacrifice ^[1][2]. This era was characterized by considerable upheaval throughout the Society Islands, including Bora Bora, where traditional power structures were being reshaped by endemic warfare and the increasing influence of European missionaries (Lesson, 1838, p. 453). Tefa'aora I belonged to a prominent chiefly lineage. His mother, Tera'inuipoia, was the sister of Ma'i II, and both were descendants of Ma'i I, who was born circa 1725.^[3] A land tenure report dated 1966 estimated that Ma'i III, who succeeded his father bearing the same name, was born around 1780.^[4]. During their visit to the Society Islands, Daniel Tyerman and George Bennet recorded that Ma'i was approximately thirty-five years old in 1823, while other sources suggest a birth year closer to 1770. These estimates reinforce the likelihood that Tefa'aora I was born within the same generational cohort.^[5][6][7] Tefa'aora I was married to Tehapai vahine.^[8] Among their children was Tapeta Farepiti, who was described in 1823 as an eight-year-old girl of refined and graceful appearance.^[9]

Political situation of the Leeward islands in the eighteenth century

According to traditional accounts, Bora Bora was once governed by two principal rival clans. One was based in the Bay of Fa'anui and the other in the Bay of Anau.^[10][11][12] In the early eighteenth century, the ancestors of Ma'i III and Tefa'aora I, originating from Anau, expressed their intention to appoint Puni as king, although he was still a child at the time. His enthronement took place at the marae Farerua or Farepiti, which gained prominence following the transfer of five sacred stones taken from the Vaiotaha marae of Anau. During the investiture ceremony, Puni was ceremonially adorned with the maro 'ura, a red feather girdle emblematic of chiefly authority. He subsequently assumed the title Puni ari'i of Farerua and ruled over Bora Bora.^{[13][14][15][16]} He succeeded in unifying the island under a single authority and subsequently extended his dominion to Ra'iātea and Taha'a during the 1760s.^[10] However, his efforts to maintain control over Huahine proved unsuccessful.^[17][18]

The missionary George Platt stated that when James Cook arrived at Ra'iātea in 1769, the island had already been conquered by the Boraborans, who governed it under the authority of the Hau Fa'anui (Government of Fa'anui). Subsequently, internal divisions arose among the Boraboran factions, leading to conflict. One faction succeeded in expelling the other from Ra'iātea. The displaced group retained control of Bora Bora, successfully defending it against repeated assaults by the pursuing faction. They governed the island of Bora Bora under the designation Hau Te Maha (Government of the Four) or Hau Mahatape, a reference to four of the six districts collectively known as Fa'anui, which represented the political structure of Bora Bora at the time. The Four engaged in conflict with the remaining two districts, which had aligned themselves with Ra'iātea and Taha'a.^[19][20] Platt's account is supported by the testimony of Tefa'aora III, grandson of Tefa'aora I, recorded in 1845 concerning the governance of Bora Bora. He stated: "It was during the time of Teri'imaevarua 2 that Tapoa came to Bora Bora to wage war because he desired control of the government. Ma'i, Tefa'aora, and all of Fa'anui, the four districts beneath them, fought here."^[15] The engagement referred to is known as the Battle of Huri'aua.^[21]

Troubles at Ra'iātea

On 21 March 1800, John Jefferson reported that Ra'iātea remained embroiled in ongoing warfare and was repeatedly suffering military defeats. Two days later, he noted that Pōmare I was reportedly preparing to send military assistance to the chief of Ra'iātea, identified as a close relative. The aid included a swivel gun and several muskets, European firearms that had the potential to significantly influence the outcome of local conflicts. The chief of Ra'iātea had allegedly sustained leg injuries from stones, a detail that underscores the continued use of traditional weaponry alongside imported arms.^[22]. On 9 April 1800, Pōmare I and his son Otoo went to the marae of Pare, to pray for the success of the weapons of destruction that had been sent to the chief of Ra'iātea.^[23] The latter, identified by historians as Tamatoa III, is considered the likely recipient of military support provided by Pōmare I. The assistance was rendered in the context of the conflict between Tamatoa III and Tapoa I, a rival claimant to power in the Leeward Islands.^{[24][25][26][27]} Tamatoa III did not succeed in repelling Tapoa I, who, according to Turnbull's account from late 1802, was exerting a form of semi-authority over Ra'iātea. Tapoa I, chief of the island of Taha'a, served as the military commander of the combined forces of Ra‘iātea and Taha'a during periods of warfare and appeared to wield greater influence than the reigning monarch.^[28] At that time, Huahine and Bora Bora remained independent islands, each governed by its own sovereign.^[29]

The battle of Huri'aua

In the early 1800s, Tefa'aora I assumed the position of co-regent in Bora Bora, governing jointly with Ma'i III on behalf of the infant Queen Teari'imaevarua, also known as Teri'imaevarua a Teau'e (born c. 1800). She was the designated successor to Teri'imaevarua (born c. 1762), daughter of Chief Puni, by hereditary right.^[15][30] After having subjugate Ra'iātea and Taha'a in early 1800, Tapoa I initiated a campaign to conquer Bora Bora. In anticipation of the invasion, the inhabitants of that island fortified their defenses. Women and children were sheltered within the pari, a traditional fortress, while strategic access points were reinforced to resist external assault. Tapoa landed his fleet at Anau Bay on the island's eastern coast and launched an offensive against fortifications situated on a relatively gentle slope leading to a site known locally as Ohue, a natural rock formation serving as a defensive stronghold. Beyond this location, the summit of Mount Pahia rose into a steep pinnacle. Although numerically inferior, the defenders fought with remarkable valor and succeeded in repelling the initial assault. During the conflict, Tapoa lost an English ally named Connor. In retaliation, he ordered the destruction of dwellings in Fa'anui Bay. The islanders responded by emerging from their fortified position and confronting the invaders on the plain of Tahu-Rua, where they ultimately secured a decisive victory. Tapoa withdrew to Ra'iātea, leaving Ma'i III and Tefa'aora I in uncontested control of Bora Bora. According to Tamati, a seventy-year-old elder who had participated in the battle and recounted the events to the French during their visit to Bora Bora in May 1823 aboard the corvette La Coquille, the conflict had taken place approximately two decades earlier.^[10][31] His testimony is corroborated by the writings of John Davies, who reported in May 1803 that hostilities were ongoing on Ra'iātea, where Tapoa I was actively engaged in armed conflict with rival local chiefs.^[32]

Nevertheless, Tapoa ultimately succeeded in subjugating Bora Bora. On 13 December 1804, John Davies writing to William Pascoe Crook, reported the end of a great war in the Leeward Islands, and that Connor , mentioned by James Wilson in A Missionary Voyage and a Hawaian native had been killed there. Peace was restored, and Tapoa emerged as the conqueror and chief of all the islands.^{[33][34][21][35][36][31]} The young queen Teri'imaevarua a Teau'e was deposed, and Tapoa allowed Tefa'aora I and Ma'i III to retain their lands and formally designated them as his representatives on the island. Tapoa appointed his daughter Maevarua as sovereign of Bora Bora and Taha'a, under the dynastic title Teari'imaevarua or Teri'imaevarua I. Following her death on 14 July 1809, the title reverted to Tapoa himself.^[37][38][39]

The expeditionary force of the Leeward Islands

When Tapoa departed for Mo'orea to support Pōmare II in military campaigns, he entrusted the governance of Taha'a to Fenuapeho, a member of his own family from the Fa'anui clan. Fenuapeho was also given responsibility for Tapoa's grandson, Teri'inohora'i, whose mother, Teriimaevarua I, had died on 14 July 1814.^[38][19] At that time, Tapoa I also had a young son, born around 1805, who bore his name.^[40] By the latter part of 1810, King Pōmare II had secured military reinforcements from the Leeward Islands to support his campaign to reassert dominion over Tahiti. On 12 July, Ma'i III and Tefa'aora I arrived at Mo'orea from Bora Bora, accompanied by a contingent of 262 warriors. Subsequently, on 27 September, Tapoa arrived from Ra'iātea with an additional force of 288 combatants. On 10 October 1810, a further group of 199 warriors from Huahine reached the island, traveling in nine canoes and one boat. Loyalist figures such as Patea (also known as Iti'a), Ūtami (Tenani'a), and others were already stationed in Tahiti to support the royal cause. The cumulative arrival of nearly 750 warriors substantially reinforced Pōmare II's position and facilitated the reestablishment of peace without recourse to violence.^[41][42] Missionary James Hayward later joined Henry Nott at Mo'orea.^[43] During this stay in Mo'orea, all the chiefs of the Leeward Islands are reported to have placed their islands under the authority of Pomare II, according to testimonies collected in 1845. Tapoa I died in Tahiti in late September 1812, before the general reception of the gospel and while the islands remained politically unsettled^[19]

Pōmare II's drift to the Leeward Islands

On 3 September 1814, the brig Mathilda struck the reefs off the coast of Eimeo (Mo'orea), west of the port of Taareu near Papetoai. King Pōmare II proceeded to the site with his entourage to assist in freeing the vessel. He was accompanied by Charles Wilson, George Bicknell (nephew of missionary Henry Bicknell), Samuel Pinder Henry (son of William Henry), Ta'aroaari'i (son of Chief Mahine), and twenty-three individuals from Mo'orea. The weather was exceptionally fine and the sea calm, allowing the ship to be successfully refloated with the help of local inhabitants. As it was too late to enter the harbor, the rescuers remained aboard overnight. By morning, the vessel had drifted approximately forty miles leeward of the island due to strong southeasterly winds that had intensified during the night. Assessing the distance from land, Pōmare advised Captain Fowler to redirect the ship toward Huahine or another of the Leeward Islands. The captain agreed, and the vessel was immediately set on course for Huahine. The following day, efforts were made to reach the port of Fare with the assistance of numerous canoes, but the harbor could not be reached. On the following day, the vessel approached Ra'iātea and Taha'a, entering through the Toahotu Pass of Taha'a. It ultimately anchored in the deep bay of Ha'amene, located on the windward side of Taha'a, where the group remained for a period of three weeks. He was received by Fenuapeho the regent of Teri'inohora'i, Tapoa I's grandson and the chiefs of Taha'a, who presented him with the ahu oto, a ceremonial offering of cloth to the king; the purau, garments made from the fine bark of Hibiscus tiliaceus; and the moea, finely woven vegetal mats. Tamatoa and his brother Tahitoe were informed of Pōmare's arrival and came to pay their respects. The four districts of Taha'a subsequently offered the Tavau, a tribute of food to the king, known as mareva in the Leeward Islands.^{[44][45][46][47][48]}

From Taha'a, the group proceeded to Tipaehapa on Ra'iātea, where a grand ceremonial assembly was convened with representatives from the three islands. The people of Ra'iātea presented the ahu oto to Pōmare, followed by the four districts of Taha'a, the eight districts of Ra'iātea, and Bora Bora, all of which offered the tavau, a ceremonial tribute of food. This grand tavau was formally delivered to the king at Taputapuātea. Through the ceremonial practice of the Pupu and the offering of the Huamaha Pua'a, a pig's thigh symbolizing allegiance, Tamatoa ceded Ra'iātea to Pōmare. Fenuapeho offered Taha'a to Pōmare. Taero relinquished his island of Maupiti to Pōmare. Bora Bora was likewise granted to Aimata by Ma'i III and Tefa'aora I. In 1845, Tefa'aora III clarified that Ra'iātea had not presented the Huamaha Pua'a. During that period, Teri'inohohorai (later Tapoa II), was living close to a marae at Tipaehapa. Pōmare II named him Pōmare Iti (Little Pōmare) and declared his intention to marry him to his daughter Aimata (later Pōmare IV). Following this, Pōmare visited Taputapuātea, the great marae at Opoa on Ra'iātea. The group remained on the island for approximately one month before departing for Huahine, where they stayed for two weeks. The vessel proceeded toward Atupi'i (Huahine) and anchored at Tetavau. Pōmare was received with great respect by Ma'ihara, the younger sister of Teremo'emo'e, accompanied by her husband No. The people of Atupi'i presented the ahu oto to Pōmare, followed by the tavau, a ceremonial offering of food. In addition, they placed Huahine and Maiaoiti under his authority, affirming his sovereignty over both islands. The party reached Tahiti on 2 December 1814 with favorable winds after an absence of three months. Pōmare disembarked at Puna'auia.^{[44][45][46][47][48]}

Transition to Christianism

The relative tranquility in Tahiti persisted until 12 November 1815, when the adherents of traditional religious practices were decisively defeated during the battle of Fe'i Pi.^{[49][50] [51]} In 1816, a substantial portion of the populations of Huahine, Ra'iātea, Taha'a, and Bora Bora publicly renounced traditional idolatrous practices and embraced Christianity. Tefa'aora I and Ma'i III notably distinguished themselves through their fervent efforts to eradicate indigenous deities and to establish a place of worship dedicated to the Christian God. The chiefs of these islands dispatched letters and repeated appeals to the missionaries, earnestly requesting that some among them be sent to provide religious instruction. Ma'i addressed a letter to the English missionaries, underscoring that the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles were not confined to a single place or country. ^[52][51] In 1817, Christianity reached Maupiti, the final stronghold of idolatry. The revival and reformation movement, initiated in 1813–1814, had continued and intensified until 1817. As a result, the inhabitants of Tahiti, Eimeo (Mo'orea), Tapuamanu (Mai'ao), Huahine, Ra'iātea, Taha'a, Bora Bora, and Maurua (Maupiti), had collectively renounced traditional religious practices and idolatry. Physical symbols of indigenous worship, such as gods and altars, were reportedly destroyed. Practices such as human sacrifice and infanticide were said to have ceased. Christian worship had become widespread across these island.^[53]

Stopover of the corvette La Coquille in Bora Bora.

The corvette La Coquille, commanded by Louis-Isidore Duperrey, made a stopover at Vaitape, Bora Bora, from 24 May to 9 June 1823. During this visit, the French encountered Ma'i III and Tefa'aora I, who gave the impression of being little more than stewards of the island's true autocrat, the missionary John Muggridge Orsmond, who exercised effective control over Bora Bora. Ma'i was described as a "great child" whom Orsmond dominated and directed as he saw fit. The missionary excessively praised Ma'i's qualities while portraying Tefa'aora I as a "malicious fool." The French later realized that this judgment was motivated by Ma'i's extreme docility, whereas Tefa'aora, being more defiant, was not considered a particularly zealous Christian and appeared to lament the disappearance of traditional customs.^[54]

Ma'i had a daughter named Maria, the widow of a prominent chief. At the time, the people of Bora Bora were engaged in carrying out a project initiated by Orsmond to construct residences for the two chiefs in Vaitape. The plan involved placing two houses on coral platforms built directly on the shoreline and above the water, resembling sentry boxes. Each chief was situated on his own domain, as the space between the two houses marked the boundary between the districts of Ouaitei and Taamoutou (Ta'amotu), and the limits of their respective realms.^[55]

Tefa'aora was a striking figure, with an athletic build and well-proportioned stature, standing over six feet tall. His features bore the fleshy fullness common among Oceanic peoples, combined with a distinctive sharpness of gaze. Beside him were his wife, plain-faced, short in stature, and corpulent, and his daughter Tapeta Farepiti, an eight-year-old child with delicate and graceful features. Tefa'aora requested that his portrait be painted using vivid colors.^[9] On the morning of 2 June 1823, Tefa'aora and Ma'i signed a letter written by Orsmond to Duperrey, requesting gunpowder. The powder was delivered by Mr. Williams, who reported to the French that upon receiving it, Orsmond remarked, "It is French powder; it has never done much harm." That same day, Orsmond was scheduled to dine aboard La Coquille with the two island kings. Despite the circumstances, the French fired several cannon salutes and rendered honors, gestures that might well have been dispensed with.^[56]

Coronation of Pōmare III, April 21, 1824

On 21 April 1824, Pōmare III was crowned at Papa'oa, Arue, in a ceremony orchestrated by British missionaries. This coronation marked a defining moment in Tahitian history, symbolizing the convergence of indigenous leadership traditions with Christian and European ceremonial practices. The event drew a wide array of attendees from across the Society Islands, including prominent chiefs, royal family members, missionaries, and local dignitaries. Among those present were:

Ari'imanihinihi (Atiau v.) chief of Ha'apiti, Teavaro, Papeari and Faa'a;^[57] Terai also called Mano v.; Taehau v. daughter of Fenuapeho and spouse of Paitihia; Tehapai v. spouse of Tefa'aora I; the wives and children of the missionaries; Mahine; Daniel Tyerman; Henry Nott; George Bennett; William Henry; the missionaries; Ūtami chief of Puna'auia; Paofai also known as 'Ūpaparu; Paraita later regent of Tahiti in 1845; Tati chief of Papara and brother of the late Opuhara killed in the battle of Fei Pi in November 1815; Ha'apoti; Onee; The young King Pōmare III; Tefa'aora I also called Vaitumata'ata; Heivae brother of Tapoa I; Ta'aviri chief of Ta'iarapu (Teva i tai); Teupo'opaari (brother of the father of Teramai); Puni (nephew of Puni); Roura Fanauae (chief of Mahina); Teriitaria v.; Ma'ihara v. (younger sister of Teri'itaria v.; Tenani'a younger sister of Teri'itaria v.; Ta'aroa v. also called Teremo'emo'e mother of Pōmare III; Aimata sister of Pomare III; Teratane v. daughter of Teihotu herself sister of Teri'itaria v.; Pomare hunoa (Tapoa II); Tamatoa III (King of Ra'iātea and Taha'a); Tahitoe (brother of Tamatoa III); Fenuapeho (chief of Taha'a); Pahi Tiatia (brother of Tamatoa III and chief judge of Ra'iātea); all the other chiefs and judges; William Pascoe Crook; Charles Wilson; John Davies.^{[58][59][60][8]}

Death and sucession

In a letter dated 28 February 1827, George Platt reported that Tefa'aora I died during the latter half of the year 1826. He wrote: “Since last July, when I wrote, we have baptized four adults and a number of children. Since June, we have admitted thirty to communion, restored several, readmitted two who had been excommunicated, and have not cut off any more. Our marriages average about eight or nine a year. We have also lost a few by death, among them the chief or king, Tefa'aora. He was cut off with many others by a curious epidemic that visited us during the past year.”^[61][62] Tefa'aora was succeeded by his son, who became Tefa'aora II. In the middle of 1832, after the war of the Leeward Islands, together with his uncle Ma'i III, he formally recognized Tapoa II as the sovereign of Bora Bora and Maupiti.^[63] Tapoa II was then coronated on 30 September 1840. Tefa'aora II (born c. 1800) had already died by the time his son, Tefa'aora III (born circa 1928), submitted his testimony to Armand Joseph Bruat concerning the governance and kingship of the island of Bora Bora and its neighboring islands, tracing back to the era of King Puni.

Ancestry

v t e Bora Bora family tree
Teri'itaumihau Teihotu Rere ao Puni Ari'i Rahi of Bora Bora, Ra'iatea and Taha'a Teri'itemiro Uru a Tu Teri'imaevarua I Ari'i Rahi of Bora Bora Mai III Ari'i of Bora Bora Tefa'aora I Ari'i of Bora Bora Tapoa I King of Bora Bora, Ra'iatea and Taha'a Pōmare Dynasty of Tahiti Tamatoa Dynasty of Ra'iatea Ahu'ura Tefa'aora a Mai Descendant of Puni Tehapa'i or Maheanu'u a Mai Tapoa Vahine alias Tainoa Tapoa II King of Bora Bora and Taha'a Pōmare IV Queen of Tahiti and Moʻorea Ari'ifa'aite Teri'imaevarua II Queen of Bora Bora Temauiari'i a Ma'i Moe a Ma'i Tamatoa V King of Ra'iatea and Tahaʻa Teri'itua Tuavira "Prince Joinville" Ariʻi of Hitiaʻa Pōmare V King of Tahiti and Moʻorea Teri'imaevarua III Queen of Bora Bora Teriʻihinoiatua Pōmare Ariʻi of Hitiaʻa
Notes: Descending dashed lines denote adoptions. References Cadousteau, Mai-Arii (1987). "CHAPITRE VIII: AHU'URA FILLE DU ROI MAI III". Bulletin de la Société des Études Océaniennes. 20 (239–240). Papeete: Société des Études Océaniennes: 45–50. OCLC 9510786. Henry, Teuira; Orsmond, John Muggridge (1928). Ancient Tahiti. Vol. 48. Honolulu: Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum. pp. 247–272. OCLC 3049679. Newbury, Colin W.; Darling, Adam J. (December 1967). "Te Hau Pahu Rahi: Pomare II and the Concept of Interisland Government in Eastern Polynesia". The Journal of the Polynesian Society. 76 (4). Wellington: The Polynesian Society: 477–514. JSTOR 20704508. OCLC 6015244633. Orsmond, John Muggridge; Smith, S. Percy (March 1893). "The Genealogy of the Pomare Family of Tahiti, from the Papers of the Rev. J. M. Orsmond. With Notes Thereon by S. Percy Smith". The Journal of the Polynesian Society. 2 (1). Wellington: The Polynesian Society: 25–43. JSTOR 20701269. OCLC 5544732839. Teissier, Raoul (1978). "Chefs et notables des Établissements Français de l'Océanie au temps du protectorat: 1842–1850". Bulletin de la Société des Études Océaniennes, Issue 202. Papeete: Société des Études Océaniennes. OCLC 9510786.