Rakahanga – an atoll first settled around 1350 AD
Rakahanga was first inhabited about 1350 AD, and according to oral history the whole population descended from two people: Toa, a warrior banished from Rarotonga, and his wife Tapairu. They settled on the motu of Te Kainga, near the south-west entrance to the lagoon, which remained the atoll's only place of habitation. Sheltered from wars and infectious diseases, the community grew quickly and divided into tribes under their ariki, with a land distributor appointed to settle disputes; pearl shell was plentiful and was worked into saws, chisels and fishhooks. Today this small atoll, just 44 kilometres from Manihiki, has drawn its electricity entirely from the sun since 2014. What do you remember of Rakahanga? We would love to read your stories.