Timothy Detudamo

Timothy Detudamo (died 11 April 1953) was a Nauruan politician and linguist. The father of Buraro Detudamo who was also a politician and was Vice President of Nauru under President Hammer De-Roburt. Timothy Detudamo is known as the founder of modern Nauruan society and served as Head Chief of Nauru from 1931 until his death in 1953.[1]

Biography

Born in Uaboe District one of the 14 Districts of Nauru, Timothy Detudamo was providentially marked for greatness. Being a layman of the Protestant Church of Nauru in his younger years, he was picked up by the Missionary Rev. Phillip Delaporte to be his assistant. In 1917, he was chosen to travel to the United States by Rev Delaporte. This was for the gigantuan task of translating the Holy Bible into the Nauruan language. To finance the travel, Detudamo needed US$500, which he raised through Nauruan donations. For the task he remained in the US until he returned to Nauru in 1921. In 1938, he tried to reform the Nauruan language by making it more understandable for Europeans and Americans. However, his reforms were not widely adopted and today the old orthography continues to be more common. Still, he is considered a most important Nauruan as a Pastor, a Leader of the nation and an accomplished linguist. Mr Detudamo spoke five languages: Nauruan, German, English, Marshalles and I-Kiribati. While living in the United States for five years, he with the help of Rev Delaporte a German-American missionary, Timothy Detudamo translated the whole Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible into the Nauruan Language. A feat that helped Nauruans up to today to understand in depth the phonetics and grammar of the Nauruan language. In addition he also translated into the Nauruan language the US Congregationalist Hymn Book, which included the musical notation of every song. A mean feat in itself considering the original lyrics set to melody in English and then using the Melody to fit the translation into Nauruan the words of the lyrics. You can only realize the genius of the man when you hear the songs being sung in the Nauruan Christian churches.

In 1931 Timothy Detudamo was elected Head Chief of the Council of Chiefs of Nauru and held the office until 1942 when Japan invaded and occupied the island. It was during this period that a young man, Hammer De-Robert the future 'Independence' President of Nauru learnt to speak fluently the Japanese language. During the Japanese occupation of Nauru, Timothy Detudamo served as Governor of Nauru under the Japanese until 30 June 1943 when he was deported along with most of the Nauruan population to Chuuk an Island country towards the east in the Micronesian Islands. After the war on the 31st of January 1946 he returned to Nauru and was duly elected to the position of Head Chief of Nauru.

Timothy Detudamo also proved to be an astute business man when he helped establish the first Nauruan large enterprise, a Nauruan land owners co-operative general store. It was called the Nauru Cooperative Society and adopted the name 'Eigigu' in symbolically depicting the Nauruan "Lady on the Moon" legend.

Following the introduction of a Nauru Local Government Council in 1951 Detudamo was elected to represent as councilor the Districts of Denigomodu, Nibok, Uaboe, and Baitsi. He was also subsequently elected to be Head Chief of the NLGC [2]

In 1953 Timothy Detudamo died after a long illness, and was succeeded as Head Chief by Raymond Gadabu.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Nauru World Statesmen
  2. ↑ Nancy Viviani (1970) Nauru: Phosphate and Political Progress Australian National University Press, p. 105
  3. ↑ Viviani, p. 106



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