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What happened when Peruvian slave raiders came to Tokelau in 1863?

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In 1863, Peruvian slave raiders abducted a large number of Tokelauan people. This event, compounded by roughly contemporary outbreaks of disease, devastated the local population, reducing it to approximately 200 individuals.1

The abduction of indigenous people for forced labor was a grave violation of human rights. Following this period of tragedy, the demographic landscape of the islands shifted as beachcombers of various nationalities settled in the territory and intermarried with the remaining Tokelauan population.1