Atiu – ʻEnuamanu, the island unified around 1760
Atiu, also called ʻEnuamanu, “land of the birds”, has been home to Polynesians since at least around 900 or 1000 AD. Oral tradition names the island after its first man, a son of Tangaroa. Around 1760 Atiu was unified and went on to dominate its neighbours Mauke and Mitiaro. Captain Cook sighted the island on 31 March 1777, and in 1823 missionary John Williams converted its leader, Rongomatane Ngaakaara Ariki, after which the people resettled in a single central settlement.
Atiu joined the Kingdom of Rarotonga in 1871, became a British protectorate in 1888 and was annexed by New Zealand in 1901. Today it is a small island with rich traditions. Do you know old Atiuan stories or legends? Add them here!