palm trees on a beach with the sea in the background

The theme for Cook Islands Language Week 2020 is Kia pūāvai tō tātou reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani i Aotearoa, That the Cook Islands Māori language may blossom throughout New Zealand. Kaitiaki Taonga Collection Manager Humanities Grace Hutton looks at some of the history of the names and languages of the different islands that make up the Cook Islands archipelago.  Read more

Close up of a woman, showing her dress and a belt made of coconut, shell, and palm frond

Rose Namoori-Sinclair is from Tabiteuea Island in Kiribati. She is currently working as UN Coordination Specialist – Kiribati. Her extensive research background, as part of a PhD research with the Pacific Studies Programme within Va‘aomanū Pasifika at Victoria University of Wellington, has focused on the health and wellbeing issues of Pacific women. We asked Rose some questions about the significance of te taetae ni Kiribati (Kiribati language) in Aotearoa New Zealand.Read more