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The National Cultural Center Complex

Several years ago in the Waimea, Kaua'i Library's free-for-the-taking bin, I discovered the book Sailing to See by Irving Johnson published in 1939. It is mainly a photo story of the cruise of the sailing vessel Yankee which began in 1936. The Yankee ended its sailing days during a storm offshore at Avarua, Rarotonga in 1964. I took the book with the intention of giving it to the Cook Islands Library when I made my, then yet unplanned, next trip to Rarotonga.

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The remains of the wreck of the Yankee got removed by Hurricane Sally in 1987. What I had thought were the remains of the Yankee in an earlier web page are really the old boilers from the wreck of the Maitai that went aground in 1916. Even the Golden Bear had to leave its anchor behind as it got wedged in the coral and to have hired divers from New Zealand to recover it would be too expensive and time-consuming. In the photo below of the Golden Bear on it last day at Raro, you can see the remains of the Maitai's boilers.

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Back in 1982, I wrote a letter to the Minister of Education, Cultural Development, Libraries and Museums inquiring about the possibility of doing some personal research in the Cook Islands, as a resident rather than as a tourist, in exchange for utilizing some of the expertise I had acquired during my 20-year career as a science and biology teacher. My letter was referred to Mrs. Carmen Temata, the librarian at the Cook Islands library who answered my letter saying that employment opportunities in the Cook Islands as a whole are practically nil and if jobs become available, first opportunity goes to the locals themselves.

When I first went to Rarotonga in 1985, the first person I contacted was Mrs. Temata at the library. I was talking to her about the internet which in the future could be used to great advantage in an isolated country such as the Cook Islands for communication and education. She said that she didn't really understand much of what I was talking about and referred me to an American artist who was then living and painting on Rarotonga because he, being an American, might understand what I was talking about. I met with him and he put me in touch with the three men who became my "partners" in something for the future. None of those men are still in the Cook Islands today.

Earlier this visit, I decided to take the book to the library. It is the building on the left in this photo of the National Cultural Center Complex that I took from the rugby field where I sometimes fly my boomerang.

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The man behind the desk (I didn't get his name) was thrilled to see the book and told me he remembers when he was 11 years old and all the excitement with salvaging from the wreck. He then went to get Mrs. Temata, who is now the Secretary of Cultural Development, Libraries and Museums and is in charge of both the National Library and National Museum. Mrs. Temata remembered me from the past and was happy to accept the book.

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Here are some photos of this small country's library. Maybe I can find out what kinds of books would be of value here, then arrange to have some books sent from the libraries of Kaua'i when they are getting rid of books to make room for newer ones. I will discuss this possibility as well as some others with Mrs. Temata later during my stay on Rarotonga.

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