Death Of Potiki Akatapuria
p. 55 · Read in the full issue
Of Penhryn Island
THE recent death of Potiki Akatapuria, son of the Cook Island’s Legislative Council’s Penhryn Island represen tative (a prominent chief of that atoll), has removed from Rarotonga a very re markable character. Potiki, who was only 21, possessed qualities of intelligence and enterprise that should have been applied in a larger sphere.
Educated only to local standards, he spoke very fluent English, but the limited scope of his northern atoll home offered the lad no outlet, though the US Army
forces stationed there during the war found him, like his father, a very useful friend.
The writer met Potiki when both were in hospital at Rarotonga. The Penhryn youth was able to get about and was of great service to this correspondent, then seriously ill and helpless; but his habit of relieving hospital ennui with various pranks did not meet the approval of Dr.
Irwin, then CMO, and Potiki was fre quently “on the mat” for breaches of Hospital discipline.
But boyish pranks may well be forgiven, for the sake of a personality always kindly and generous, typical of the good qualities
of Cl Maori-dom.
E.G.