Latest news with #Avarua
RNZ News
03-08-2025
- RNZ News
'People have stopped using it': Culture secretary warns of complacency toward Cook Islands Māori
The streets of Avarua came alive with colour and culture to kick off the Te Maeva Nui 2025 celebrations. 26 July 2025 Photo: Facebook / Cook Islands The Cook Islands secretary of culture Emile Kairua says people in his country are getting complacent about the use of Māori. Cook Islands Māori Language Week started on Sunday in New Zealand and will run until Saturday. Kairua said the language is at risk at the source. "Here in the homeland, we're complacent," he told RNZ Pacific. "People have stopped using it in their everyday lives. Even my children, I must admit, don't speak Cook Islands Māori. They understand it, thankfully, but they can't speak it." Kairua said he thinks Cook Islands Māori is stronger in Aotearoa because that is where a lot of the language teachers are living. "We haven't done a welfare audit of the language in Aotearoa [but] I would imagine that it's a lot stronger, purely because a lot of our teachers, a lot of our orators, are living in Aotearoa. "I guess being away from the source, being away from home, there is a feeling of homesickness, so that you do tend to grab onto to what you're missing." He said it was "critical" that Cook Islanders "wake up and appreciate the importance of our language and make sure that it's not a dying part of our identity". "A race without a language - they don't have an identity. So as Cook Islanders, either first, second or third generation, we need to hold on to this." Ministry of Pacific Peoples secretary Gerardine Clifford-Lidstone said there is power in our language - it anchors identity and builds belonging. The theme of the week, ''Ātui'ia au ki te vaka o tōku matakeinanga', translates to 'connect me to the offerings of my people'. The Cook Islands Māori community is the third-largest Pacific group in Aotearoa New Zealand. UNESCO lists te reo Māori Kūki 'Airani as one of the most endangered Pacific languages supported through the Pacific Language Week series. News in Cook Islands Māori is broadcast and published on RNZ Pacific on weekdays .
RNZ News
27-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Cook Islands kicks off 60th Constitution celebrations with a sea of colour
By Melina Etches , Cook Islands News Prime Minister Mark Brown lights the cauldron to officially open the nation's 60th Te Maeva Nui festival, celebrating the theme 'Kua kite au i toku turanga, e Avaiki toku' (I know who I am, I have a homeland). Photo: Cook Islands News / Melina Etches Rarotonga burst into a sea of beauty, colour, pride and joy as the Cook Islands officially opened its 60th Te Maeva Nui Constitution celebrations on Friday local time. Avarua township was alive with energy as well over a thousand people gathered to witness the vibrant float parade and official opening ceremony. The street was a heartwarming, spectacular sight, filled with colourful ei, pareu and team polos, while the sounds of music, song and dance echoed through the heart of town. Crowds lined the route from the Avarua roundabout, where formalities and performances took place, stretching all the way to Avatiu. The sacred Te Maeva Nui flame, lit at the King's Representative's office in Titikaveka, was carried by the Boys Brigade to the opening ceremony. The flame was placed on beautifully carved torch stands and officially lit by the three pillars of Cook Islands society - traditional leaders (Ui Ariki) represented by Kaumaiti Nui Tou Travel Ariki, the church (Ekalesia) represented by Bishop Tutai Pere, and the government (Kavamani) represented by Prime Minister Mark Brown, who ignited the cauldron. Mangaia youngsters dancing with joy during the 2025 Te Maeva Nui float parade, marking the official opening of the 60th Te Maeva Nui Constitution celebrations yesterday. MELINA ETCHES/25072548 Photo: Cook Islands News / Melina Etches In his address, Prime Minister Mark Brown reflected on the country's journey. "Today we celebrate 60 years of our Cook Islands nation. Sixty years of the transformation of our country and the transformation of our people," Brown said. "Kua kite au i toku turanga, e Avaiki toku (I know who I am, I have a homeland). This tells a story of us - our Cook Islands people, our nation of islands and ocean. "Let us remember, we are the descendants of voyagers, not afraid to navigate the ocean to find new lands that today we call home. We continue to navigate these waters today, reaching Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, and becoming part of the fabric of society in those countries. When we look back at 60 years, we have grown - in population, culture, leadership, ownership, and presence. "This is a celebration this year about us, by us. We welcome our family from Aotearoa New Zealand, from Australia, and our friends from around the world. Your presence strengthens our bonds and our identity as Cook Islanders." Forty-five brilliantly decorated floats paraded through the streets, each one telling its own story of heritage and pride. Performances by Te Maeva Nui cultural teams from the Pa Enua brought the streets to life with heartfelt songs and dances, showcasing the richness of Cook Islands culture. King's representative Sir Tom Marsters and Lady Tuaine Marsters, government ministers, and Ui Ariki from across Rarotonga and the Pa Enua joined the celebrations, which were coordinated by the Ministry of Cultural Development (Tauranga Vananga). - Cook Islands News
Newsroom
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsroom
$18m cut to Cooks aid is ‘not about China'? I call BS
Analysis: Winston Peters has taken a leaf from Donald Trump's playbook, with news he's paused government-to-government development aid to our closest whānau in the Pacific. 'We want an assurance that our special relationship remains special,' he tells Newsroom. It's a response to the Cooks Islands' clumsy handling of a strategic deal between Avarua and Beijing this year, in which PM Mark Brown chose not to advise New Zealand of his plans. Cook Islands is an independent nation in many respects, but it relies on New Zealand for its currency, passport and security. That agreement entails transparency – a clause Brown chose to disregard. Nonetheless, with the decision to pause $18.2m in core sector support (there is other aid, for capital projects and NGOs, that appears unaffected) the New Zealand foreign minister is taking a sledgehammer to a walnut, and flouting the lip service that was once paid to keeping development aid decisions distinct from New Zealand's strategic priorities. Peters says the decision to suspend aid was made slowly, because New Zealand officials were asking a series of questions in writing and not getting satisfactory answers. 'That is, satisfactory answers that would enable us to account to the New Zealand taxpayer, and also, more importantly, to the Cook Islands people, the diaspora, both here and across the world, in Australia and New Zealand in particular. 'So we've got responsibilities ourselves here, and we wanted to make sure that we didn't put a step wrong in our commitment and our special relationship, which goes back decades.' Cook Islands News, which broke the story on Thursday morning (NZT), reports local concern at the move. Te Tuhi Kelly, a Cook Islands opposition candidate, describes the suspension of aid as 'a significant escalation'. He says the islands' government will now face internal pressure to balance Chinese engagement with preserving long-standing New Zealand ties and benefits. 'Other diplomatic avenues are likely to follow until transparency and consultation are restored.' Peters may present this as a bump on the road between the two Pacific nations, but in truth, it's about where New Zealand positions itself vis-a-vis the US and China. And it's ironic that while Christopher Luxon is over in Shanghai, glad handing CCP Government officials, Peters is quietly trying to tip the balance the other way in the Pacific. That's tacitly confirmed when he says he's seeking to hold the Cook Islands to account for policy decisions that go beyond the use of New Zealand development aid; that he's seeking accountability on behalf of Cook Islanders around the world. For what? For Mark Brown's decision to cosy up to Beijing, and invite that country to visit and advise and invest and help the Cooks exploit their seabed minerals resources. All highly contentious issues – but shouldn't Brown be directly accountable to his electorate for those? Do Cook Islanders want or need the intercession of Winston Peters, who's had a long and vexed relationship with that archipelago. (Remember the Winebox Inquiry?) So, when Peters tells us, 'This is not connected with China' … I call BS. China extended its Belt and Road Initiative to the Pacific in 2017, and a few months later the Cook Islands and Niue signed up. That blindsided Peters (who was foreign affairs minister then, too) and it seems he's not quite forgiven them. In the past six years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has acknowledged it targets its development cooperation to countries where New Zealand has strategic interests – and it's implicit that there will be strategic or security expectations of those nations. But this goes further. The wholesale removal of core sector support – a meaty contribution of nearly $20m to the Cooks' $200m government revenues – is akin to America's shutdown of USAid this year. There's no nuance, no consideration of how the money is being used. So here's the briefing that Peters may not have sought: The purpose of this support is to enhance Cook Islands' ability to be self-sufficient. It supports schools, primary health, tourism and strengthening the public sector. It's the support at the top of the cliff, so the people of the Cooks don't end up in the air ambulances waiting at the bottom of the cliff. (Cook Islands doesn't have a tertiary hospital, so its people are flown to Middlemore Hospital in Auckland for surgery and hospital care.) And I know, from my time living in Rarotonga and editing Cook Islands News, that New Zealand's support buys soft power. Our High Commissioner to Avarua is an influential voice behind the scenes. For instance, when the Cooks Parliament proposed in 2019 to further criminalise homosexuality, New Zealand diplomats quietly reminded the Cooks government that the grant of New Zealand citizenship came with the expectation that Kiwi citizens' human rights would be respected. In all transactional relationships, especially where one party is bigger and stronger, there tends to be a carrot and a stick. Usually in diplomacy, the stick has been very much a last resort. But the Trump-style diplomacy now being adopted by Peters brings out the big stick at the slightest provocation. Soft power be damned. Peters says foreign affairs is not about ephemeral ministers and governments. 'It's about people-to-people relationships, and that's what I'm working on to make sure that this remains the same.' That's fair. It's just very hard to see how a wholesale shutdown of critical government-to-government development aid can do anything other than harm the long-term relationship.
RNZ News
19-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Explainer: Why has New Zealand paused funding to the Cook Islands over China deal
The diplomatic row between the Cook Islands and New Zealand has come to a head. Photo: RNZ Pacific New Zealand has paused $18.2 million in development assistance funding to the Cook Islands after its government signed partnership agreements with China earlier this year. This move is causing consternation in the realm country, with one local political leader calling it "a significant escalation" between Avarua and Wellington. A spokesperson for Peters said the Cook Islands did not consult with Aotearoa over the China deals and failed to ensure shared interests were not put at risk. On Thursday (Wednesday local time), Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown told parliament that his government knew the funding cut was coming. "We have been aware that this core sector support would not be forthcoming in this budget because this had not been signed off by the New Zealand government in previous months, so it has not been included in the budget that we are debating this week," he said. The Cook Islands did not think it needed to consult with New Zealand on the China agreement. Photo: LIU BIN A diplomatic row first kicked off in February between the two nations. Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown went on an official visit to China, where he signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership" agreement . The agreements focus in areas of economy, infrastructure and maritime cooperation and seabed mineral development, among others. They do not include security or defence. However, to New Zealand's annoyance, Brown did not discuss the details with it first. Prior to signing, Brown said he was aware of the strong interest in the outcomes of his visit to China. Afterwards, a spokesperson for Peters released a statement saying New Zealand would consider the agreements closely, in light of the countries' mutual constitutional responsibilities. Cook Islands operates in free association with New Zealand. The country governs its own affairs, but New Zealand provides assistance with foreign affairs (upon request), disaster relief and defence. Cook Islanders also hold New Zealand passports entitling them to live and work there. In 2001, New Zealand and the Cook Islands signed a joint centenary declaration, which required the two to "consult regularly on defence and security issues". The Cook Islands did not think it needed to consult with New Zealand on the China agreement. Peters said there is an expectation that the government of the Cook Islands would not pursue policies that were "significantly at variance with New Zealand's interests". Later in February, the Cooks confirmed it had struck a five-year agreement with China to cooperate in exploring and researching seabed mineral riches. A spokesperson for Peters said at the time said the New Zealand government noted the mining agreements and would analyse them. Under the Cook Islands constitution, New Zealand cannot pass laws for the Cook Islands. Photo: Supplied / PMN On Thursday morning, Peters said the Cook Islands hadn't lived up to the 2001 declaration. Peters said the Cook Islands had failed to give satisfactory answers to New Zealand's questions about the arrangement. "We have made it very clear in our response to statements that were being made - which we do not think laid out the facts and truth behind this matter - of what New Zealand's position is," he said. "We've got responsibilities ourselves here. And we wanted to make sure that we didn't put a step wrong in our commitment and our special arrangement which goes back decades." Officials would be working through what the Cook Islands had to do so New Zealand was satisfied the funding could resume. He said New Zealand's message was conveyed to the Cook Islands government "in its finality" on 4 June. "When we made this decision, we said to them our senior officials need to work on clearing up this misunderstanding and confusion about our arrangements and about our relationship." Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is in China this week . Asked about the timing of Luxon's visit to China, and what he thought the response from China might be, Peters said the decision to pause the funding was not connected to China. He said he had raised the matter with his China counterpart Wang Yi, when he last visited China in February, and Wang understood New Zealand's relationship with the Cook Islands. Over the past three years, New Zealand has provided nearly $194.6 million (approximately US$117m) to the Cook Islands through the development programme. Cook Islands opposition leader Tina Browne said she was deeply concerned about the pause. Browne said she was informed of the funding pause on Wednesday night, and she was worried about the indication from Peters that it might affect future funding. She issued a "please explain" to Mark Brown: "The prime minister has been leading the country to think that everything with New Zealand has been repaired, hunky dory, etcetera - trust is still there," she said. "Wham-bam, we get this in the Cook Islands News this morning. What does that tell you?" Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, left, and Foreign Affairs Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters in Rarotonga. 8 February 2024 Photo: RNZ Pacific / Eleisha Foon Massey University's defence and security expert Anna Powles told RNZ Pacific that aid should not be on the table in debate between New Zealand and the Cook Islands. "That spirit of the [2001] declaration is really in question here," she said. "The negotiation between the two countries needs to take aid as a bargaining chip off the table for it to be able to continue - for it to be successful." Powles said New Zealand's moves might help China strengthen its hand in the Pacific. She said China could contrast its position on using aid as a bargaining chip. "By Beijing being able to tell its partners in the region, 'we would never do that, and certainly we would never seek to leverage our relationships in this way'. This could be a very good news story for China, and it certainly puts New Zealand in a weaker position, as a consequence." However, a prominent Cook Islands lawyer said it was fair that New Zealand is pressing pause. Norman George said Brown should implore New Zealand for forgiveness. "It is absolutely a fair thing to do because our prime minister betrayed New Zealand and let the government and people of New Zealand down." RNZ Pacific has made multiple attempts to contact from Brown for comment.
