Cook Islanders in Aotearoa New Zealand joyfully celebrated Te Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani - Cook Islands Māori Language Week with cultural performances and educational programmes across the country this week.

The 2024 theme is “Ātui’ia au ki te vaka o tōku matakeinanga – Connect me to the canoe of my tribe” deriving from the overarching Language Week Series theme “Sustainability”.

Kairangi Samuela, the Cook Islands High Commissioner to New Zealand, kicked off the week of celebration with a flag raising ceremony at a community event in Porirua, Wellington.

So how important is the language to the identity and traditions of over 100,000 Cook Islanders living in New Zealand?

Samuela said with more Cook Islanders residing in New Zealand than in the Cook Islands, the diaspora plays a crucial role in preserving culture and language.

She said during Te Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani, efforts to promote the language and culture have been visible especially throughout social media.

The Cook Islands High Commission engaged with the Cook Islands communities across Wellington and Auckland, including local Cook Islands-owned businesses, diplomatic corps, students, and island communities to promote the event.

“It has been uplifting to witness our culture being celebrated in various ways –through dance, song, flag-raising, and language promotion – for the 13^th consecutive year,” said Samuela.

“The challenge now is to maintain this momentum beyond Cook Islands Language Week, especially given our unique constitutional relationship with New Zealand.”

Samuela says the Pasifika community in Aotearoa is incredibly diverse, and Cook Islands language and culture contribute to showcasing how distinct and unique our culture and identify is.

She said highlights throughout the week have been seeing Cook Islands culture, language and identity being amplified across Aotearoa’s society.

Samuela also attended the Mauke Akatokamanava Iriiri Kapua in Auckland this week.

“It was inspiring as a Maukean to listen to the stories and names of Vaka, who sailed them and the songs that were composed for us to remember them by,” she said.

Lianne Bishoff-Towgood, the programme and funds coordinator for the Akatokamanava Mauke Enua Association Auckland NZ, said having the Akatokamanava Auckland community come together to re-awaken many of their vaka traditions through songs, amu, pee, story-telling and play was remarkable.

“Seeing all the smiling faces, hearing laughter fill our Orau and seeing our Pa Metua sighing with relief knowing our reo lives and will continue to live on into the future is wonderful. Glory to God,” said Bishoff-Towgood.

Many Cook Islanders are New Zealand born “therefore, the teachings and sharing by our knowledge holders and Pa Metua strengthens our love for our reo, ngakauparauanga of our identity and passion for our peu”.

“These connections are vital to keep us grounded and rooted in who we are as iti tangata Māori Kuki Airani living in Aotearoa New Zealand,” Bishoff-Towgood added.

As the Cook Islands approaches the 60^th anniversary of self-governance with New Zealand, Samuela said they aim to highlight and strengthen the country’s identity and culture in the lead-up to this milestone.