Pa Tepaeru Terito Ariki

Pa Tepaeru Terito Ariki
High Chiefess of Takitumu
Pa Tepaeru Terito Ariki in 1934
Reign	1924–1990
Successor	Marie Peyroux
Born	14 August 1923
Died	3 February 1990(1990-02-03) (aged 66) Auckland, New Zealand
Spouse	George Ani Peyroux Tom Davis
House	House of Takitumu
Dynasty	Pa Dynasty

Pa Tepaeru Terito Ariki (14 August 1923 – 3 February 1990) was Pa Ariki, one of the two ariki titles of the Takitumu tribe on the island of Rarotonga of the Cook Islands from 1924 until 1990.

She is one of the authors of "Te Atua Mou E" ("God is Truth"), the national anthem of the Cook Islands. She was president of the House of Ariki from 1980 to 1990.

Pa Tepaeru Terito was an only child, born on 14 August 1923. Her father died four months later. Her mother then remarried. She was raised and educated by her great paternal uncle, Makea'nui Tinirau Teremoana Ariki, head of the Makea Nui Ariki, and his wife Tutini.

She was appointed as Pa Ariki at the age of one in 1924, thanks in part to the support of Tupe Short, an important member of the Kainuku Ariki family, and probably of Makea Nui Tinirau. She was the 47th person to hold the title of Pa Ariki.

In 1934, Pa Terito attended school in New Zealand at the Hukarere Girls' College in Napier. She returned to the Cook Islands in the mid-1940s to assume her role as ariki. She worked as a secretary for the government and later for a private firm.

In the 1950s, Pa Terito converted to the Bahá'í Faith, becoming the first non-Christian ariki. Her conversion seemed to anger some of the people of Takitumu. According to her, "One of the ministers said to me: 'Pa Ariki, you really have to do something about being a Baha'i. Your people are very angry with you'. (...) My People (held) a meeting (and said): 'Young lady, your ancestors accepted the Gospel' and all this kind of thing and I said: 'Yes, they had their reasons and I've got mine. What you are asking me? Give it up? I would rather give you up. If you ask me to give the title up and leave the country or give up being Baha'i, I'd leave the country.' And they looked at me, because ma'am, they knew I meant it." Her cousin, Makea Nui Tapumanoanoa Teremoana Ariki, also did not approve. "She said to me, 'I do not like you being Baha'i, it's against our family tradition." Pa Terito promised that there would be no attempt to proselytize on her part and agreed to attend the Sunday service at the Cook Islands Christian Church in Ngatangiia.