Ataï
Ataï is the “big boss” Kanak of Komalé. In 1878 it carries out the insurrection kanak against the French colonizers. After important victories which worry the colonial administration, it is killed by Kanak.
Insurrection of 1878
In 1878, it declares with the French governor Olry with Teremba, by pouring a ground bag initially: “Here what we had”, and then pouring a stone bag: “Here what you us leashes”. The governor who advises to him to build barriers to protect his cultures from the damage made by the cattle of the colonists, he answers: “When the taros vegetables will eat oxen, I will build barriers. ” Its efforts to get along with the White having been vain, Ataï chooses the armed struggle.The colonial capacity succeeds in making sure the support of other canaques tribes, in particular Baxéa of Canala, against Ataï and its partisans. Without these auxiliaries, it could not continue an enemy who based himself in nature. The insurrection puts at fire and blood the mid-west of the Grande Ground. Ataï will fight until death. It is killed with the combat the September 1878 with Fonimoulou by a canaque traitor, Canala Segou, column the Golleur-Roller made of Canaques, franc-tireurs (of the political deportees), of Mercury (off-set of right-common directed by Mercury, a supervisor of the bagne).
Louise Michel, off-set on the Ducos peninsula following the Common at the time of the facts, thus evokes the death of Ataï in its famous Mémoires :
Ataï itself was struck by a traitor. How everywhere the traitors are cursed! According to the canaque law, a chief can be struck only by one chief or procuration. Noudo, chief sold with the white, gave its procuration to Segou, while giving the weapons to him which were to strike Ataï. Between the negro boxes and Amboa, Ataï, with some as of his, regained its camping, when, being detached from the columns of the white, Segou the big boss indicated, recognizable with the whiteness of snow of its hair. Its sling rolled around its head, holding of the right hand a saber of gendarmerie, left a tomahawk, having around him its three sons and the Andja bard, which made use of a sagaie like lance, Ataï faced the column of the white. He saw Segou. Ah! he, here you is say! The traitor staggered one moment under the glance of the old chief; but, wanting to finish some, it launches a sagaie to him which crosses the right-hand man to him. Ataï, then, raises the tomahawk that it held of the left arm; its sons fall, one dead, the others wounded; Andja springs, shouting: tango! tango! (cursed! cursed!) and fall struck to death. Then, with blows of axe, as one cuts down a tree, Segou strikes Ataï; it carries the hand at its head to half detached and it is only after several blows still that Ataï died. The cry of death was then pushed by Canaques, going like an echo by the mountains. That on their memory fall this song from Andja: Takata, in the forest, gathered the adouéke, the grass shield, with the moonlight, the adouéke, the grass of war, the plant of the spectra. The warriors share the adouéke which makes terrible and charms the wounds. The spirits blow the storm, the spirits of the fathers; they await the brave men; friends or enemies, the brave men are welcome across the life. That those which want to live go from there. Here is the war; blood will run like water on the ground; it is necessary that the adouéke is also of sang.
The head of Ataï
Its head which had been put at price 200 F is preserved in Formol, shown with Noumea then carried in metropolis. She was studied in 1882 by the preparer of Doctor Broca, Theophilus Chudzinski, who published the report of his study in the Review of Anthropology of Paris. It is probable that the head was then stored with the Musée Broca which was at the time in the roofs of the Museum Dupuytren (old convent of Cordeliers).
A bust of Ataï and Andja (Takata, i.e. wizard-healer of Ataï) were exposed on the first floor, span northern of the exposure of the ministry for the state education - Class VIII - Palate of the Liberal arts - Fields of Mars. Was there also a sectional view of the head of Ataï like its hand (moulding?).
Today, whereas Kanaks continue to assert its return to the country, it is officially lost. A novel of Didier Daeninckx, the Return of Ataï evokes this search and proposes a rather romantic explanation of becoming remainders of Ataï.
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