Tuamotu Islands Genealogy



Pacific Island Guide &gt;  French Polynesia  &gt;  Tuamotu Islands

General Information
Tuamotu (Low, or Dangerous) Islands. Composed of 80 coral atolls, of which 50 are inhabited, the name means Islands Under the Clouds. Once heavily populated, the population is now only about 5,200 because people moved to better jobs.

The islands include: Ahe, Ahunui, Amanu, Anaa, Anuanuraro, Anuanurunga, Apataki, Aratika, Akiaki, Arutua, Faaite, Fakahina, Fakarava, Fangatau, Fangataufa, Hao, Haraiki, Hereheretue, Hikueru, Hiti, Katiu, Kauehi, Kaukura, Makatea, Makemo, Manihi, Manuhangi, Maria, Marokau, Marutea, Marutea Sud, Mataiva, Matureivavao, Morane, Motutunga, Napuka, Negonego, Niau, Nihiru, Nukuhiwa, Nukutavake, Nukutepipi, Paraoa, Pinaki, Puamau, Pukarua, Puka Puka, Raivarae, Rangiroa, Rapa, Raraka, Raroia, Ravahere, Reao, Reitoru, Rekareka, Rimatara, Taega, Taenga, Tahaa, Tahanea, Tahuata, Taiohae, Taiaro, Takapoto, Takaroa, Takume, Tatakoto, Tauere, Tekokoto, Tematagi, Tenararo, Tenarunga, Tepoto, Tikehau, Tikei, Tiveru, Toau, Tuanake, Tubuai, Tureia, Uahuka, Uapou, Vahanga, Vahitahi, Vairaatea, Vanavana

Historical Background
1543 Magellan’s Portugese fleet discovers Puka Puka, northeast Tuamotu 1616 Dutchmen Jacob Le Maire and Willem Scheuten reached Puka Puka, Takaroa, Takapoto, Manihi, and Rangiroa

1722 Dutchman Jacob Roggeveen reached ''Maketea of the Tuamotus and Bora Bora of the Leewards. 1765 Englishman John Byron reached Tepoto, Napuka, Takeroe, Takapoto, and Rangirao''. 1767 Englishman Samuel Wallis charted and claimed the islands for ''Britain. 1768 The French'' claim the islands. 1806 Pomare II extends his power on the northern and central Tuamotu Islands. His wife, Tetua, dies. 1826 Tahitians who will not accept the Mamaia religion flee to the ''Tuamotos. ''1831 Uprising of chiefs against Pomare Vahine IV, who is forced to condemn the Mamaia sect. 1833 First Catholic Vicar Apostolic in the islands. Defeat of the chiefs of the Taiarapu (supported by the Mamaia sect) heralds its decline. 1841 Last members of the Mamaia sect die because they refused vaccination. 1842 Establishment of a French protectorate on ''Tahiti. 1845 Mormon missionary Grouard has great success on the island of Anaa. ''1852 Catholic persecution of Mormons on Anaa. They are forced to flee, die, or attend the Catholic Church. 1860 Raids of the Peruvian slave traders begin. 1862 Slave traders captured in the ''Tuamotus. 1903 Hurricane in Tuamotu. 1905 Phosphates discovered in Makatea, Tuamotu. 1908 Leprosy spread to the eastern Tuamotu Islands. ''1918 Flu epidemic kills 20 percent of the population. Phosphates are exploited in Makaeta, Tuamotu.

Research Tools

 * Portal: French Polynesia in FamilySearch Research Wiki
 * Some compiled genealogies from the Tuamotos were collected by William Cole and Elwin Jensen. This collection was microfilmed by the Genealogical Department of the LDS Church in 1984. The microfilms with the transcript of Tuamotuan genealogies are 1358007and 1358005.
 * During the 1970s the Genealogical Department commissioned people to go to the Pacific Islands and gather oral genealogies because they realized how fragile these important sources of family information are. They made arrangements for the interviews and the older people talked into the tape recorder microphone to get their genealogy on tape. Later, the gatherers typed transcripts of the interviews onto paper. The paper transcripts were microfilmed, You can use the table below to find the microfilm number of the transcript for the interview you are interested in. The tape recordings were later digitized onto compact discs. In the future, the CDs of the tapes may be put on the Internet and linked to this table so you can access them according to the tape number and listen to them.

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