Baiteke

Baiteke (r. 1850–1878) was the second uea of Abemama and its tributaries, Kuria and Aranuka, in the Gilbert Islands. The other islands were quickly falling under European influence, so Baiteke ordered every foreigner on his lands killed. He then monopolised trade with the Europeans and restricting them to one port, exporting copra. Buying firearms, Baiteke easily suppressed every rebellion under his reign. He established a heirarchal social structure with his family at the top. Binoka was succeeded by Binoka, his eldest son.

"Tem Baiteke, King of Apemama". Handley Bathurst Sterndale, c. 1860 – c. 1871

Ancestors and early life

Map of Abemama, where Baiteke and his family reigned

While sojourning in Abemama in 1948, one of the Gilbert Islands, R. G. Roberts questioned I-Kiribati people about the royal family's history. He published a paper on this in 1953.

Karotu was the grandson of Tetabo, the first supreme leader to unify Abemama. Karotu's father, Namoriki, led a conquest which reduced Kuria and Aranuka to Abemama's tributaries, while Karotu consolidated absolute power over the three islands. Karotu and his first wife had a son named Tewaia. When Karotu abdicated his position in favour of Tewaia, he gave him the title of uea. Karotu's second wife, Teaa, fell pregnant, and so Karotu, Teaa, and Tewaia agreed that her child should become the next uea. Teaa and Tewaia had sex four times to establish the child's royal claim. The child was born around 1810; he was announced as Teaa and Tewaia's son and was named Baiteke. Roberts wrote that Baiteke was actually Karotu's son, but the distinguished Pacific historian, H. E. Maude, wrote in 1970 that it was ultimately impossible to know if Baiteke was Tewaia's son or stepbrother.

By Karotu's reign, Kuria and Aranuka had been discovered by two ships in the First Fleet, and Captain Charles Bishop sighted Abemama in 1799. Whalers began to visit the area in 1821; relations were initially hostile, but friendly trade was established in the 1830s. Baiteke's reign would be characterized by the constant threat of European influence on traditional I-Kiribati life.

Reign

Foreign relations

Baiteke became the second uea c. 1850 following his father's brief reign. Back then, a number of beachcombers were enroaching on the island realm. The Abemamans prostituted female serfs to whalers, who started barters controlled by them rather than the uea. In the 1840s, there was an influx of whalers and merchants seeking to trade for coconut oil, including ships under Richard Randell's firm. Considering this, Baiteke had all nine foreigners staying on Abemama killed. Several months later, he ordered the deaths of the 25 foreigners residing on Kuria and Aranuka. Maude wrote that Baiteke did not face any European retribution — or even any demands for reprisal — largely because of Richard Randell.

Richard Randell, married to an I-Kiribati woman, fluent in the Gilbertese language, advocated for them to Protestant missionaries led by Randell's close friend Hiram Bingham. Randell cast the foreigners as men who committed atrocities against I-Kiribati and influenced Baiteke against missionaries. According to Maude, he was largely why Baiteke did not face any calls of retribution for the massacre.

Legacy

He retired in late 1878.

Baiteke was succeeded by Binoka, his eldest son.

Bibliography

• Maude, H. E. (1970). "Baiteke and Binoka of Abemama: Arbiters of change in the Gilbert Islands". In Davidson, J. W.; Scarr, Deryck (eds.). Pacific Islands Portraits. Canberra: ANU Press. ISBN 0708101666.
• Garrett, John (1982). To Live Among the Stars: Christian Origins in Oceania. Geneva : Suva: World Council of Churches. ISBN 978-2-8254-0692-2.
• Roberts, R. G. (1953). "The Dynasty of Abemama". The Journal of the Polynesian Society. 62 (3). Polynesian Society: 267–278. JSTOR 20703382.
• Uriam, Kambati K. (1995). In Their Own Words: History and Society in Gilbertese Oral Tradition. Australian National University: The Journal of Pacific History. ISBN 0959547770.