Cook Islands Language Week celebrated in Far North

Members of Te Hiku Avaiki Nui making ei katu at Kaitāia town square on Wednesday, included Vaniva Lewis, Tevanie Akapi, Maria-Jay Te Kotahi, 14, Lola-Rose Te Kotahi, 6, and Brianna Lewis.

New Zealand has the largest population of Cook Islanders in the world and in the Far North descendants from the Pacific Island nation have been celebrating their culture with colour and style.

August 4-10 was Cook Islands Language Week, an annual event that exists to celebrate the culture and identity of the Cook Islands. It also promotes the rich and distinctive language of Cook Islands Māori.

The 2024 theme for Cook Islands Māori Language Week is “Ātui’ia au ki te vaka o tōku matakeinanga - connect me to the canoe of my tribe”. This theme derives from the overarching Language Week Series theme for 2024, Sustainability.

And at Kaitāia town square on Wednesday, members of Te Hiku Avaiki Nui were making colourful ei katu (necklace, garland) for people to wear to support the week.

Avaiki Nui is the traditional name of the Cook Islands and Te Hiku Avaiki Nui treasurer Tevanie Akapi said it was important for Cook Island people to have the language week to celebrate their culture.

The group made dozens of bright ei katu for people to wear last week and Akapi said the colourful display provided joy and happiness for Cook Islanders and brought some brilliance to the town.

“It’s a celebration of our culture and when you are living overseas it’s so important to maintain that cultural connection and celebrate where we are from,” she said.

“[Te Hiku Avaiki Nui] is a small group here in Kaitāia and we’ve been going for two years. We’ve been set up to promote our culture and language - our Cook Islands identity - to the people of Te Hiku.”

With a population of over 17,459 people the existence of Cook Islands Language Week holds great importance. It is celebrated through language, song, dance, cultural displays, and community events. There is a larger population of Cook Islanders in New Zealand, with around 80,532 people saying they were Cook Islanders, or of Cook Islands descent.

The Cook Islands is made up of 15 islands whose total land area is 240sq km. While it is a self-governing island country, New Zealand is responsible for the Cook Islands’ defence and foreign affairs though any decisions relevant to these areas are exercised in consultation with the Cook Islands.

Some Cook Island Māori words:

Hello – kia orana! (key-ah-o-raah-nah) ...

Thank you – meitaki (may-tah-key) ...

Goodbye – aere ra (eye-ray-raah) ...

See you later – ka kite (kah-kee-teh) ...

Yes – ae (eye), no – kare (kah-ray) ...

My name is – ko_toku ingoa (koh_toe-koo-eeh-noa) ...

Island – motu.