Unu-ki-mua Williams, left, and Nomailaio Meiota hard at work preparing a transcript of one of the books of the New Testament.

AUCKLAND NZ (ANS) -- For the first time, inhabitants of the tiny island of Pukapuka, situated 1140 kilometres northwest of Raratonga in the Cook Island group, will be able to read the New Testament in their own language.

On December 6, 2007, Pukapukans will be celebrating the arrival of the Gospel message on their island 150 years ago and at the same time hold in their hands the first draft of a Pukapukan translation of the New Testament. 

The translation work, driven by Kevin and Mary Salisbury of Auckland, along with a legion of New Zealand based Pukapukans, is the product of many years of hard work. Up to this time, Pukapukan was only an oral language. The Pukapuka population, numbering 6000, is spread throughout the world with only 500 remaining on the island.

Mr Salisbury stresses the couple are advisers for the translation project, for which most of the work has been done by New Zealand domiciled Pukapukan translators living Auckland, Hastings, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch, as well as Pukapukans in Australia, Raratonga and Pukapuka itself. They have received some funding and help from Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Bible Society of New Zealand. 

“Both Mary and I speak Pukapukan fluently and dream in Pukapukan. Personally, it’s been a journey of trials and tribulations,” he said. 

The journey began in 1975, when the Salisburys first made contact with the 3000 strong Pukapuka community in Auckland. Mrs Salisbury began to study the language with the community’s leader, Atawua Robati, and Mr Salisbury completed an MA thesis analysing the Pukapukan music system.

As the relationship between the couple and the community grew, so did the vision to complete a translation of the New Testament in their language. 

“The ‘big’ languages had been used as a ‘battering ram’ to bring the Gospel to the small islands in the Cooks,” said Mr Salisbury. “But the Pukapukans said ‘we have a language of our own’. I don’t think they ever dreamed they would be able to read the Bible in their own language though.” 

Time passed and a new leader took over, becoming president of the Pukapuka Community of New Zealand. From 2003, Nuku Rapana began to draw together pastors and catechists from the three main denominations - Catholic, Seventh Day Adventist and Protestants - to train in translating. 

Word at Work: Kevin Salisbury and Leleitupu Patia get down to the business of translating on the idyllic island.

“Kevin and Mary had been a great inspiration to us for 25 years, and finally we sat down in 2003 and prayed about restarting the Bible translation project,” said Mr Rapana. “I became convinced it was something our leadership needed to take up and see through to conclusion. It is also a means of preserving our language by bringing it into daily use.” 

Mr Salisbury said it was essential the translation was done in a culturally appropriate way. 

“The Pukapukans have been very isolated for centuries and have become very independent,” he said. “It had to be done their way.” 

In January, 2004, the Salisburys and two ship loads of Pukapukans, 140 people in all, headed back to the island from New Zealand on an official visit. While there, all agreed the New Testament project would go ahead. 

“The project has gone amazingly quickly, despite difficulties,” said Mr Salisbury. “One of the greatest successes was to get the pastors to ‘take ownership’ of the project, to do the draft for us.” 

While delving into the history of Pukapuka, Mr Salisbury has discovered some very interesting information, about how Christianity first came to the island. 

He discovered in the National Library in Wellington a 36 page manuscript written by Luka Manuae of Aetutaki Island in the Cook group, which contained a “vivid account” of the first landing of missionaries on Pukapuka. 

“Luke arrived at the island on December 6 or 7, 1857, and within two days, or possibly a bit longer, saw a remarkable turning of the people to God,” said Mr Salisbury. 

The London Missionary Society had been in the area since the early 1850s but had not ventured to Pukapuka because Europeans were unaware of its location. 

Pukapuka was, therefore, the last island in the Cook group to be reached with the Gospel. It had been named Danger Island by white men who ventured into the area, because it was surrounded by a nasty reef. It was not until a ship captain realised this island and Pukapuka  were one and the same, that attempts were made to evangelise it. 

In 1857, Luka set sail for Pukapuka from the southern Cook Islands, intent on evangelising. 

Mr Salisbury said the manuscript revealed that Luka and a 20 year old man were dropped on the island. The natives took them to two maraes and ‘dedicated them to the gods’.

“They thought they were going to be killed,” said Mr Salisbury.  

However, on December 8, the people on the island held a big feast and asked Luka to say a prayer. Two Pukapukans confessed on the spot their faith in Jehovah, and immediately fell, apparently dead.  

According to Luka’s manuscript, he was distraught at this turn of events, and called out to God to sort out the mess. The two ‘dead men’ then ‘came too’, and the chiefs immediately declared in favour of this Jehovah.  

“It appears they burnt all their gods and within eight months, all the false gods had been deposed,” said Mr Salisbury.  

Missionaries visiting the island later confirmed this.

Since that time, Pukapukans have had a proud history of sending out missionaries, with 24 serving in Papua New Guinea in the 1880s to 1920s.  

“They became some of the most stable and loyal Christians and have produced many pastors to serve in the Cook Islands,” said Mr Salisbury.  

Given this rich history, celebrations on December 6 are expected to be carried out with great joy. There will be a presentation of a pageant by the children of the island, incorporating the story contained in the manuscript. The Salisburys and Pukapukans from many nations will be in attendance.

“We are giving each community in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific area a copy of the draft of the New Testament,” said Mr Salisbury. “It is taking the scriptures back to the island in writing this time – it’s the start of a new era.” 

Mr Salisbury said unless the indigenous Church had the Bible in its mother tongue, it would hamper its maturity.

“This is generally known by Bible translators,” he said.  

“It’s been a journey of service to these people.” 

Lynley Smith is a reporter in the Auckland newsroom of Challenge Weekly, New Zealand's independent and non-denominational Christian newspaper.