Chief Roi Mata's Final Voyage

Thomas Hahihev · Endorsed in supplied archive

The greatest chief of the islands did not die in his great house. He died in exile, on the island of Artok, and the story of his last voyage — told by the people of Lelepa and Mangaliliu for four hundred years — is now a World Heritage story.

Cultural context

Chief Roi Mata's Domain (Mangaas, Fels Cave, and Artok/Hat Island) was inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage in 2008. Artok remains tabu — uninhabited and uncut. The site is managed by the communities of Lelepa and Mangaliliu. Retainer burial, chiefly rank, and the poison plot are attested in oral tradition and archaeology (the 2004–2007 digs led by Frédérique Valentin).

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The supplied archive labels this story illustrated, but includes text only; no recording or illustrations were supplied.