Another Kiribati Church Pioneer

1 November 2011

We had another Oral History presentation from a Kiribati LDS Church Pioneer: Sister Marinoa TIARIE, who is also the librarian at Moroni High.  She was with the very first group of 12 students from the AKAS school who attended Liahona High School.   This is her story in her own words from the written account of her oral presentation to the EDU 212 class:

Tiarie, Marinoa - Early Pioneer

Because I did not get a chance to secondary school in the government, I was searching another school to continue my education.  As I was searching I heard about the newly school established in Eita.  This was Auriaria Kokoi Ataria School (AKAS) and it was owned by the man nmed Waitea Ataria.  I went visit him with a group of friends and  asked if we could be admitted to his school.  I was lucky that I was admitted to his school with some of my friends.

1970-1971: I was 13 years old at that time when I began my school at AKAS.  I was a day student for one term then the second term I moved in to stay in the dorm.  Some of my classmates were either older than me or younger; age was not a matter in those days.  I could remember that there were about 5 classrooms built by local materials as well as the boys and girls dormitories.  The headmaster’s house was on campus and it was also built locally.  His parent’s house was built behind where he lives.

Teachers:  We had about 5 local teachers who were teaching at AKAS at that time.  They were, Mwakoro Hicking - teaching Book Keeping, Ubanaba and Toaea - taught Mathematics.  Meretia Kakiaman, Baitika Tehumu were also teachers also the Headmaster Waitea was also a teacher who was teaching English

Eating Time:  When time to eat I remembered that we have to come with our own plate, spoon and cup.  We have to stand around the lady by the name, Nei Tene the headmasters’s mother who was doing the cooking and serving the students at the same time.  Nei Tene was doing her cooking on an open fire in big pots.  Most of the time she served the students with the Tubu n Taman or Tin Fish Soup, and Rice or Katiti, flour mixed with grate coconut.  Sometimes students did not have enough to eat or not gotten their served as because the food ran out or not enough.  When this happened the students went out looking for food or get coconut to satisfy their hunger.  We did not have any cafeteria ut we used to sit around under coconut trees or any shade we could find on campus to eat our meals.

One assembly the headmaster told us that we had visitors coming from Tonga.  His name was Bro. Puckett and he was accompanying by President Palmer from Fiji.  They came to visit the school by the invitation of our Principal Waitea.  Waitea wrote to Liahona High School asking if they could admit students from AKAS to continue their education in this Church High School, as High Schools in Kiribati were limited at that time.  (Bro. Puckett was a superintendent of Liahona High school at that time, he was from the States)  

After the visit of Bro. Puckett and President Palmer to AKAS and Kiribati, the letter of acceptance of students from AKAS to attend Liahona High School was allowed.  Therefore, from that time on the door opened for Kiribati students to attend Liahona High School in the year 1972.  I was lucky to be among the first group to attend Liahona High School.  In fact, there were only 12 students accepted.  There were 6 boys, named, Bename, Teema, Barate, Tebong, Rauneti, he was ther half of the year then he came back to Kiribati, he was replaced by Itaea Riteri, the Akau my husband.  There were only 3 girls, it was me - Marinoa, Karaititi and Teutu.  

While we were in Liahona High School, we were taking religion classes.  The Church was new to us at that time.  But my religion teacher was Bro. Richadson who was converted us by the way he teaches.  In fact, he was one of my favorite teachers who spent most of his time teaching us the gospel.  I would like to say that he conveyed the turuth message and we were converted.  Therefore, we were all baptized on April 6, 1972. 

 In the year 1975 there were 6 boys who were called to go on a mission to Kiribati.  From that time the Church was first established in the Kiribati Islands.  After graduated from Liahona High School, I came back and work in on of the government’s office.  Then later I gave up my work in the government office and willing to serve in Moroni Community school when the Church was taking over from Waitea, the owner of AKAS, it was no longer AKAS. 

I was serving at Moroni then change to Moroni High School for 2 years.  Bro. Howlett was a principal of the school at that time.  In 1982, I went to BYUH, came back and still serving at the school.  For your information, I have seen all what happened from humble beginning of this campus until now.  The only thing I am proud of is the establishing of Zion in Kiribati.  I would like to say that I am proud to be one of those early Pioneers who have seen a lot of changes in this campus, especially in the growth of the Church

Thank you very much.

Tiarie, Marinoa