The unveiled monuments mark the key landmarks wherethe gospel travelled when it was accepted in Mangaia 200 years ago. The unveiling of the monuments was held at the harbour,Marae o Rongo, Akaoro and the Hospital. During the unveiling, NumangatiniAriki Tangitamaiti Tereapii said:“These monuments hold the mana and historical events of our ancestors that hasshaped the future of this island, in which we currently stand on and the fruitsof their labour through the preservation of our land and the gospel of Jesus Christthat is working in our midst today.
” “I honour the work of our tupuna in their sacrificeand foresight in the work of the gospel on our island.” At the Marae o Rongo, Taoi Nooroa, the representativeof the Mangaia Historical Society, gave a brief history of the landmark. Two storyboards were unveiled at the Marae o Rongo.
One of them revealing the details of the 40 boxes of bones that were returned bythe Japanese researchers in the 1990s and brought back to Mangaia by the Universityof Otago early this year. In pre-Christian times, ceremonies concerning thedeclaration of peace, investiture of chiefs and the establishments of politicalorder took place at the Marae o Rongo. Marae o Rongo was also acknowledged as a place ofremembrance for those sacrificed to the god Rongo in rituals by the Ariki PaUta and Ariki Pa Tai, before Christianity arrived.
On Saturday, before the opening ceremony of theBicentennial Celebration programme, a drum of peace was sounded at 4am t.