Cook Islands Language Week

TUES 4 AUG, 9.30AM, 10.30AM, 1PM, 2PM, 3PM, 4PM
FREE, BOOKINGS REQUIRED

Te Aho Mutunga Kore warmly invites our Cook Islands community members to join us to view a selection of textile and fibre treasures at Auckland Museum. Book a session time to visit these precious taonga in person, and then share a cuppa and a chat afterwards. Sessions are limited to 10 people each and must be booked in advance.

_{Pare kaka'o, hat. Collection of Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum. 1956.173.3}

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Nihi Vini worked alongside many of the other Mana editors at the Pacific Islanders’ Educational Resource Centre (PIERC). He was born in Tongareva Penrhyn, and studied in Western Samoa, Fiji, and Aotearoa.

The 2025 theme for Cook Islands Māori Language Week is 'Ātui'tui’ia au ki te raurau a tōku matakeinanga – “Connect me to the offerings of my people'. In celebration of Māori Kūki 'Airani we profile writer, editor and politician, Nihi Vini and his 1977-1978 literary contribution to the Tāmaki Makaurau newspaper, Mana. Written in eight languages, the newspaper was a meeting place for many communities engaged in social justice and Māori and Pacific story sovereignty.

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‘E tu‘anga mātau‘ia te ‘akapapa‘anga kōrero ta‘ito ‘ō te kōpū tangata ‘ē tatou mei mua mai. Ka nākirokiro mai tātou ‘i te kite ‘i tō tātou tika‘anga tangata ‘i te kite‘anga ‘ē ko‘ai tatou, ‘ē nō‘ea mai tātou. Ka ō mai ki roto ‘i te au ‘ākapapa‘anga kōrero ta‘ito te au tūtū, puka-tūtū, au reta, ‘ē te au ‘ākapapa‘anga peapa pu‘apinga.

Nā roto ‘i te raverave‘anga ‘ē te ‘ākono‘anga ‘i te au ‘apinga ‘akaputu o tō tātou kōpū tangata ‘ē ‘akakite mai ‘i te roa‘anga ‘ō te tuātau ‘ē vai meitaki ai tē reira. Ka rauka i tēia au kaveinga ‘i te tauturu iā koe ‘i te tāporoporo ‘i te au ‘akapapa‘anga kōrero ta‘ito o tō‘ou kōpū tangata nō te au uki ki mua.

‘Ātoro atu

 

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_{E tūtū ta‘ito, mei roto mai ‘i te ngā‘i vaira‘anga au ‘apinga ta‘ito pu‘apinga ma‘ata, ā te Pacific Islands Education Resource Centre (PIERC), ‘ē te Pū-Ma‘ata Mua ‘ō te PIERC, Le Mamea Taulapapa Sefulu Ioane, mei te au mata‘iti, 1970’s mai.}

Hoa, tera pa hia o te Huru-Avatea, te tahirihiri mai ra i te Maru-o-Araiava.

 

Kia orāna! My name is Tiare Pito, and I work both as a Collections Technician in the Documentary Heritage team (working primarily with Pacific literature), as well as a Decant Specialist in the Collection Care team here at Tāmaki Paenga Hira. In both of my roles, I have the privilege of working directly with our taonga, doing my best not only to acknowledge and honour the mana of our taonga, but uphold it.

I hail from the islands of Manihiki, Palmerston, and Tongareva in the Cook Islands- islands known for their intricate weaving and storytelling. Tāmaki Paenga Hira boasts a beautiful collection of Cook Islands weaving, and the hats in particular steal my attention every time. It always excites me to see the ingenuity and adaptability of our people, and the true mastery of such a skill -all the way from the Pare Rito in the likes of Tongareva, Manihiki and Rakahanga, to the Pare Tō in Mangaia. I am also continually inspired in the Documentary Heritage team working on the Hamasaki Collection -a collection of beautiful Pacific literature on loan to us from Hawai’i. Reading the stories and writing of our people reminds me not only of our skill as master craftsmen, but also vivid and creative storytellers.

"Kia hua, kia tata, kia maharahara i te tahuatanga."

This is a proverb from Manihiki and Rakahanga that translates to: "Grow, be fruitful, and remember your roots and foundation." I think it is a very profound piece of wisdom that has been passed on; the idea that although you should go out in the world, progress and work hard, you should never forget where you came from, as your roots are a core foundation of your identity.

This is a concept that we as tangata o Te Moana Nui o Kiva hold to strongly, and I have found in my personal life that my identity as a Cook Islands woman has grounded and strengthened me in times where I felt adrift.

There is no success without my family and community, for I owe my place in life to them. The wisdom of my papa, the kindness of my mama, the unconditional love and support of my parents; even the rich skill and stories of my tupuna that have passed on. They are all embedded in who I am as a person, and I hope to carry these gifts forward for future generations.  

Kia orāna e kia manuia.

 

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Tiare Pito was one of several Māori and Pasifika kaimahi who were a part of Te Aho Mutunga Kore’s outdoor exhibition at the Britomart Pavilions in the summer of 2023/2024. Meitaki ma’ata to Tiare Pito and Te Aho Mutunga Kore for this collaboration.

_{Pare kaka’o. Fernland reed hat. Mangaia or Rarotonga. Maker is not yet known. Made with fernland reed, Miscanthus floridulus. Collection of Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira. 1956.173.1.} 

Kia orana, Turou, Oromai!
Turou kite taua ngutuare, koukouanga ite au tuatua, ete au reo pakari e manganui
Mou te kō, mou te ‘ere
kia pukuru o vaevae, kia mokorā ō kakī
Meitaki maata

 

My heritage is Indian from dad’s side (Hoshiarpur, Punjab), and Cook Island & Tahitian from my mum’s side (Tauhunu, Manihiki, Cook Islands & Rapa Iti, Rurutu, Tahiti). I work within the Visitor Services department as Visitor Experience & Bookings Manager.

Working within the Museum being part of the front of house team, I am proud to welcome all walks of life. Many of our Pasifika people are always feel lost, confused, or unsure if they are welcomed in the Museum -many still have that old fashioned belief that they cannot come into such an institute. Being front house, myself and my fellow Māori and Pacific colleagues break down those stereotypes and welcome our fellow brothers and sisters with open arms and show them that our Museum -Tāmaki Paenga Hira is open for everyone- especially for them. Seeing & receiving the gratitude and happiness from our Pasifika communities is indescribable, I am proud I can break down those barriers so our communities can enjoy our space and connect with many of our taonga on display.

The Cook Islands (Te Kūki 'Āirani or ʻAvaiki Nui) is a group of 15 islands spread across 2,200,000 km2 of the South Pacific Ocean. Each island is unique and diverse in habitat, flora, and fauna, though unfortunately the true extent of biodiversity is unknown. We're lucky to have some Cook Islands dragonflies and damselflies from Atiu and Rarotonga collected in the 21st century. In this blog for ‘Epetoma ō te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani (Cook Islands Language Week) we take a closer look at the specimens in our collection and what they can teach researchers about the ecology and evolution of these special creatures.

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“Our reo contributes to our identity as Cook Islanders. We are a small nation with a rich and beautiful history that stretches back to primordial beings that have now become part of myth and legend.”

William Kainana Cuthers, Researcher and Academic Writer, has written an article in celebration of Cook Islands Language Week and to commemorate and highlight the legacy of Cook Islands service persons, like his grandfather and namesake William Kiri Cuthers, a Coastwatcher during the Second World War.

Introduction written by Arerangi Tongia.

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More than 500 Cook Islanders fought for New Zealand in the WWI. They served with distinction but suffered great loss. Find out more about these courageous servicemen.

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Tivaevae are the height of women’s artistic expression within Cook Island and Society Islands communities, both in the islands and abroad. They are the key gift item during significant life ceremonies such as christenings, graduations, weddings, and funerals. Tivaevae (or tifaifai in Tahitian) are treasured heirlooms that feature from the beginning of life to its end.

Tivaevae making is largely a communal undertaking. Vainetini, tivaevae-making groups, are centered around a tivaevae ta’unga, quilting expert, who leads the creation and cutting of patterns and oversees the final form of tivaevae. Familial, village and island pride are bound up in the creativity and skill expressed in tivaevae.

Go behind the scenes to find out more with exhibition curator Fuli Pereira in her interview with Viva.

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Bring to life the beautiful fish found in the clear waters of the Cook Islands. 

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