Your language is your identity: Cook Islands pair on a mission to increase reo speakers

To read this article in Cook Islands Māori click here.

A pair of young Cook Islands university students say their fluency in their reo is a badge of honour and they are leading efforts to help their peers embrace the importance of learning their mother tongue.

Moana David and Temari’i Koroa recently moved to Aotearoa from Aitutaki and Mangaia, respectively, to further their tertiary education but experienced immediate culture shock given the lack of Cook Islands Māori being spoken.

Census data show that only 9% of the more than 80,000 Cook Islanders living in New Zealand speak the language, indicating that only 9% are fluent in it.

Moana David and Temari’i Koroa say they were stunned at how the language was almost non-existent despite hanging around lots of other young Cook Islanders.

Temari’i says: “Ngakau parau au i tokou reo, kare au e akama i te api’i i toku reo.’’

She adds: “Na to’ou reo e a’aki mai e no’ea koe, na’ai koe.’’

“I am very proud to speak Māori. I am not ashamed to speak Māori everywhere I go. Your language is your identity.”

Temari’i Koroa in Rarotonga

Growing up, they lived and breathed Cook Islands Māori from community activities, church services, schooling, and constant reminders from their parents of how important it is to speak Māori.

‘’Me rai’i koe ite autara i toou reo ka mou mai iakoe, ka matau mai koe ite autara,’’ said ….

“If you speak enough and keep practising, you will start to understand how to communicate.”

Moana David in Aitutaki

They also believe that the backward attitudes of the older generation are another contributing factor.

Both have heard from young Cook Islanders in Aotearoa about being ridiculed by the older generation about the way they speak Māori, calling them ‘’plastic’’ and so on.

But Moana and Teremai’i are on a mission to encourage the older generation and young Cook Islanders that it is ok to make mistakes and that speaking Māori should be encouraged, not shunned.

The tactic is to make sure whether on the train or at the University, they will speak Māori Kuki ‘Arani, and they are also making a conscious effort to talk to Māori and promote and encourage young Cook Islanders to speak Māori.

‘’Noatu me te autara papa’a mai te tai tangata kia koe e noatu e, e Kuki Airani aia e autara Māori rai koe kiaia,’’ said…

“When speaking to another Cook Islands person, regardless if they speak in English, you should still reply in Māori, that way, you get to practise and get better at speaking. “

Watch the full interview on PMN COOKS Facebook page.