'Cultural re-awakening' for the people from Atiu

Their people have spread far and wide across the world but for the first time they will be celebrating their culture and history in their adopted home of Rotorua.

More than 160 descendants, relatives and family members from the small island of Atiu in the Cook Islands will converge on Apumoana Marae in Rotorua from tomorrow for a "cultural re-awakening".

The gathering is made up of descendants of Te Akapitara and Nio Daniela and the hapu of Ngati Paruarangi of Atiu whose families moved to Rotorua more then 50 years ago.

Organising committee acting chairman Rouru Daniela said after three years of planning he was excited about the weekend's activities.

"It gives our children the chance to meet and get to know each other," he said.

Mr Daniela's father, Mata, came to Rotorua in 1956 to find work at Waipa Sawmill. He brought his family out from Atiu 10 years later to settle in the district.

He said Atiu islanders were coming from places as far afield as Dubai, the United States, India, Australia, the Cook Islands and from New Zealand.

He said the gathering had a strong cultural focus with the weekend's theme being to inform, affirm, honour and celebrate the re-awakening of their cultural identity.

Rukuwai Daniel, who married into the Daniela family and is from Whakarewarewa Village, said she knew the importance of a culture's reo (language) and many people coming to the event would find staying on a marae a new and enlightening experience as well.

She said the reo gave people their identity and was the most important thing when teaching future generations about themselves and where they were from.

"These events need to be continued over the years and this is our intention - this is the beginning of something new. It will help the younger generation come together and find new pathways in this land," she said.

Today, there are more Cook Islanders living in New Zealand than on their home islands. According to the 2006 census 19,500 people lived on the islands compared with 58,000 people, who described themselves as Cook Island Maori, living in New Zealand.

Rotorua MP Todd McClay will also attend, as he represented the Cook Islands and Niue in the European Parliament and was made an honorary Cook Islander in 2005 for his work.

Mr McClay said he was very proud of his honorary status and was looking forward to the occasion.