Celebrating Connection and Culture: 2025 Cook Islands Language Week unites NZ communities

Cook Islands Māori Language Week (Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki 'Airani) is taking place from 3 to 9 August in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This special week is dedicated to celebrating and promoting the Cook Islands Māori language and culture.

This year's theme is 'Ātui'tui'ia au ki te raurau a tōku matakeinanga, which means "Connect me to the offerings of my people".

Organisers say it's a reminder for Cook Islanders to reconnect with their cultural roots and community.

According to the 2018 New Zealand census, more than 80,000 people in New Zealand identified as Cook Islands Māori or of Cook Islands descent, making it the third-largest Pacific ethnic group in New Zealand, after Samoan New Zealanders and Tongan New Zealanders.

To kick off the celebrations, a prayer service was held at St Luke's PIPC in Tokoroa on the North Island, followed by a memorial event to honour those who have passed away.

Photo/MPP

In the South Island, a ceremony and community service took place at the Invercargill Christian Centre to mark the occasion.

In the Bay of Plenty (BOP) region, Cook Islanders came together to connect with each other and the wider community. Local leaders organised two key events at the Cargo Shed in Tauranga: a Tīvaevae Exhibit and a community cultural show.

The exhibition, created by a group of local mothers, features beautiful, traditional quilts known as tīvaevae. This exhibit runs from 6 to 8 August and is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm, with entry by a gold coin donation.

This year marks a special milestone, as the mothers are celebrating 20 years since they first learned how to make these quilts. Their exhibit not only showcases their handmade creations but also shares their cultural knowledge with everyone.

Throughout the week, they will also teach students in schools how to make tīvaevae and traditional head garlands called ei katu, encouraging young people to engage with their culture.

On Saturday, a cultural event at the Cargo Shed will feature performances from local Pacific youth groups, showcasing the vibrant culture of the community.

The theme for this week encourages Cook Islanders in New Zealand and around the world to reconnect with their identity and traditions. It's a chance for Cook Islanders to gather, including seasonal workers who come to help in the kiwifruit industry, allowing them to connect with the community.

This year's celebrations have an added significance, as the Cook Islands is also celebrating 60 years of self-governance. Local leaders emphasise the importance of pride in being Cook Islanders and the resilience of their communities.

Photo/MPP

The theme promotes unity and encourages all generations to draw from their community's strength to keep the Māori language and cultural practices alive.

In July, during similar celebrations in the Cook Islands, Raemaki Karati, a language adviser at the Ministry of Cultural Development, highlighted the urgent need to protect the Māori language, which is at risk of fading away.

He says many children in Rarotonga are now speaking mainly English and are losing touch with their language, a trend also starting to spread to the outer islands.

For more information about the events happening during Cook Islands Māori Language Week in New Zealand, you can visit the Ministry for Pacific Peoples website.