Tauatomo Mairau

Tautatomo Mairau
Born
Rurutu, French Polynesia (French overseas territory)
Died(2013-05-17)May 17, 2013
Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia (French overseas territory)

Tauatomo Mairau (died May 17, 2013) was a member of the royal Tahitian family of Mairau, a descendant of Tahiti's Queen Pōmare IV.[1][2] He was born on the island of Rurutu.[3] As of February 2009, Tauatomo Mairau claimed to be the heir to the Tahitian throne, and attempted to re-assert the status of the monarchy in court. His claims were not recognised by France.[4][5][6]

In 2010, he claimed he was recognized as the heir to the throne and bear the title Prince Marau of Tahiti. He was working to have royal trust lands returned to him and his family. The French government mortgaged the land after World War II, and in doing so violated the terms of the agreement signed with King Pōmare V in 1880 which reserved control of the trust lands for the royal family of Tahiti. The banks are reportedly in the process of freezing the assets, and Mairau was suing to prevent native Tahitians from being evicted from his trust lands, and wished for them to retain their usage rights over the land.[7]

On May 17, 2013, he died in Papeete.[3]

  1. ^ "Tahitians Push for 'Customary' Senate". Radio New Zealand International. 31 October 2005. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Tahiti Royalty visits". The Cook Islands Herald. 12 March 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Tahitian royal claimant Mairau dies in French Polynesia". Radio New Zealand International. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Tahitian royal forms government". Radio New Zealand International. 22 January 2006. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014.
  5. ^ "Tahitian land activist claims France disregards 19th century treaties". Radio New Zealand International. 3 February 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  6. ^ Moyrand, Alain (2012). Droit Institutionnel de la Polynésie Française (in French) (second ed.). Paris: Editions L'Harmattan. p. 24. ISBN 978-2-296-99278-8.
  7. ^ "King Mairau forges links between Tahiti and Cooks". Islands Business. 17 March 2010. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012.