Editing Ruatapu (section)

===Becoming Ariki===
One day, Ruatapu went up to the highest point of [[Aitutaki]] where he rested under an utu tree, out of anger towards his son Kirikava, in search of a new home. He rested under this tree at a spot which he called ''Teutumarama'', before venturing further. Kirikava ran to catch up with him upon finding out he was gone, and begged Ruatapu not to leave. Ruatapu told him to leave, threatening to kill him with his spear and axe if he did not. Kirikava replied: “All right, my father, if it pleases you to kill your son, do so. I won’t try to stop you.” to which Ruatapu broke down and wept. He asked him to sit down so they could talk to each other, and they arranged two lines of black stones as they resolved their differences, calling the spot ''Te Ruatoke''. Ruatapu instructed him to return home to Vaitupa where his brother and sister still lived, promising not to forget them if he became the ariki. This Kirikava did and Ruatapu continued on into the Arutanga district to a settlement called Anainga, where he found the people bringing food to the ariki, Chief Taruia. Ruatapu decided to take Taruia's place as ariki, and created a small model canoe called a ''kopae'' out of coconut leaves. He set it in the lagoon at Ruatea where one of Taruia's warriors caught it, and ran to show him, amazed and having never seen anything like it. Taruia, living at Orongo, said this was an ''akairo'' (sign) that another ariki was present on the island and that his people should find this ariki somewhere at a place called Te Upokoenua in the northern end of the island, where indeed Ruatapu was found sitting in the sand, and was brought back to Taruia via an inland route as opposed to by the coast, else the god [[Rongo]] would devour him.<ref name="PolySoc06-213"/> Upon arrival, Taruia insisted Ruatapu stay with him and accept food.

Some days later Ruatapu suggested they dam a small creek named (Vai)Reirei from running into the ocean, wasting fresh water. This was a contest of skill, which Ruatapu completed under two days, successfully damming the creek. A second challenge which Ruatapu suggested, was to see who could build a canoe the fastest before travelling to other islands. Taruia asked what purpose there would be in travelling, as all islands were about the same anyway, and no more exciting than Aitutaki. At this Ruatapu laughed, saying there were many bigger islands, and some with beautiful women of much lighter complexion - some almost white - and with a brighter hair tone, all of this sounded much better to Taruia than what his island already offered. Once again, Ruatapu proved to be the more skilled ariki, completing his canoe first and calling it ''Te Atua-apaipai''.

Ruatapu brought the canoe down to the lagoon, and said he'd venture out in the morning. Taruia asked him not to go as his own canoe was almost finished, and they could go together. Ruatapu wouldn't agree to this at first, saying he would go first and call back out to Taruia from Rarotonga. Afterwards, he agreed to wait until the day after to give Taruia time to finish the canoe.

On the day they were ready, Ruatapu set out his canoe two hours ahead of Taruia, and intentionally capsized it knowing Taruia would find him in the water. This happened near a small island named Mainainara, and the exact spot where it happened was named ''Raukuruvaka'', or ''Raukuraka''.<ref name="PolySoc06-213"/> It was not long before Taruia found him and Ruatapu pleaded for his help. Taruia laughed at him, telling him that he instead would wait in Rarotonga and call back out to Ruatapu, just as he said he would to Taruia. He laughed again before sailing away out of sight. Ruatapu quickly righted his canoe and headed back for Aitutaki, calling all the [[Mataiapo|mataipo]] together and telling the people that he did not know whether Taruia was alive. The people agreed that Ruatapu should become Aitutaki's new ariki.

Taruia, having safely landed at Avarua in Rarotonga, slowly began to realise what Ruatapu had done, and feared he had stolen the title of ariki from him. He gathered some strong men from amongst his new friends at Rarotonga and sailed back to reclaim his position. The people of Aitutaki saw Taruia's war party heading back near Tapuotuki, and Ruatapu decided to engage them in a fight, so they battled at the Ruaikakau passage, in the water. Taruia and his people withdrew and travelled for three weeks to another island, [[Penrhyn atoll|Māngarongaro]], where Taruia's descendants still live today.<ref name="TKoro"/><ref name="PolySoc06-213"/> In some traditions, his early descendant Urirau returned to Aitutaki and reclaimed the position of ariki through his success in performing a ritual at the marae of Rongo.

Ruatapu, now an old man with death closing in on him, sent for his son Kirikava to come live with him in the chief's house - Paepaeoronga - and become the new ariki upon his death. Soon, news came from Ruatapu's home village Taputapuatea that a new warrior named Tuotakura had become known amongst many islands as talented in martial arts skills such as wrestling and spear-fighting. He lived on the island of [[Tahiti]]. Since Kirikava had disobeyed his father when he was younger, he could not take on this warrior. However after much convincing, Ruatapu allowed for his people to build Kirikava a canoe to take him to Tahiti.

In a few days after arriving at Tahiti, he had watched other young warriors duel with Tuotakura, and knew he would be no match. Indeed, he proved to be no match in a contest of wrestling, and went home ashamed. This defeat, which Ruatapu could not correct himself as he was too old, depressed him so much that it sent him into bad health, and before long he had passed away, making Kirikava the new ariki of Aitutaki.<ref name="TKoro"/>