Cook Islands Māori

## Language And Script

Māori a Rarotonga: 21,000Pukapuka: 2,400
with Latin Script

## Related Ethnic Groups

Polynesians Austronesians

**Cook Islands Māori,** **(Māori Kūki 'Āirani)** are the indigenous Polynesian people of the Cook Islands, although more Cook Islands Māori currently reside in New Zealand than the Cook Islands. Originating from Tahitian settlers in the sixth century, the Cook Islands Māori bear cultural affinities with New Zealand Māori and Tahitian Mā'ohi, although they also exhibit a unique culture and developed their own language, which is currently recognized as one of two official languages in the Cook Islands, according to the Te Reo Maori Act of 2003.

## Etymology

In the Māori Kūki 'Āirani language, the word *māori* means "normal", "natural", or "ordinary". Kūki 'Āirani is a transliteration of Cook Islands.

## History (Tuatua)

In 1813 John Williams, a missionary on the *Endeavour* (not the same ship as Cook's) made the first recorded European sighting of Rarotonga. The first recorded landing on Rarotonga by Europeans was in 1814 by the *Cumberland*; trouble broke out between the sailors and the Islanders and many were killed on both sides. The islands saw no more Europeans until English missionaries arrived in 1821. Christianity quickly took hold in the culture and many islanders are Christians today.

The islands were a popular stop in the 19th century for whaling ships from the United States, Britain and Australia. They visited, from at least 1826, to obtain water, food, and firewood. Their favourite islands were Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Mangaia and Penrhyn. Governor Lord Ranfurly reading the annexation proclamation to Queen Makea on 7 October 1900. The Cook Islands became aligned to the United Kingdom in 1890, largely because of the fear of British residents that France might occupy the islands as it already had Tahiti. On 6 September 1900, the islanders' leaders presented a petition asking that the islands (including Niue "if possible") should be annexed as British territory. On 8 and 9 October 1900, seven instruments of cession of Rarotonga and other islands were signed by their chiefs and people. A British Proclamation was issued, stating that the cessions were accepted and the islands declared parts of Her Britannic Majesty's dominions. However, it did not include Aitutaki. Even though the inhabitants regarded themselves as British subjects, the Crown's title was unclear until the island was formally annexed by that Proclamation. In 1901 the islands were included within the boundaries of the Colony of New Zealand by Order in Council under the Colonial Boundaries Act, 1895 of the United Kingdom. The boundary change became effective on 11 June 1901, and the Cook Islands have had a formal relationship with New Zealand since that time.

## Gender (Vaine)

The Cook Islands, much like the rest of Polynesia, used to be tolerant of same-sex relationships and transgender people before the arrival of Christianity.

The colloquial term for men who act like women is *laelae*. Culturally, *laelae* are different from gay or transgender people. The term refers to a wide range of people, as it does throughout Polynesia, some of whom may identify as female but are biologically men, as both male and female, or as neither. *Laelae* engage in women's work, such as cooking, cleaning and sewing, tend to socialise with women and tend to wear female clothing, but have little desire to have sex with other *laelae*. They typically have sex with heterosexual men, who not consider themselves, nor are they considered by others, to be "homosexual". Nowadays, there exists a relative tolerance and acceptance of *laelae* in terms of their public behaviour (their cross-dressing and dance performances are regarded with fascination by both men and women), but a near complete avoidance of *laelae* sexuality as a topic of discussion. Dr. Kalissa Alexeyeff, of the University of Melbourne, states that the introduction of Western understandings of sexuality and gender has resulted in *laelae* sexuality being taboo. *Laelae* who are caught engaging in homosexual relations are often beaten up by male family members.

Since the 2000s, the Māori word *akava'ine* has come to refer to transgender people from the Cook Islands.

## Music (Imene)

Imene tuki is a form of unaccompanied vocal music known for a uniquely Polynesian drop in pitch at the end of the phrases, as well as staccato rhythmic outbursts of nonsensical syllables (*tuki*). The word 'imene' is derived from the English word 'hymn' (see Tahitian: 'himene' - Tahiti was first colonised by the English). Likewise the harmonies and tune characteristics / 'strophe patterns' of much of the music of Polynesia is western in style and derived originally from missionary influence via hymns and other church music. One unique quality of Polynesian music (it has become almost a cliché) is the use of the sustained 6th chord in vocal music, though typically the 6th chord is not used in religious music. Traditional songs and hymns are referred to as *imene metua* (lit. *hymn of the parent/ancestor*).

Traditional dance is the most prominent art form of the Cook Islands. Each island has its own unique dances that are taught to all children, and each island is home to several annual competitions. Traditional dances are generally accompanied by the drumming of the pate.

## Language (Reo)

Cook Islands Māori became an official language of the Cook Islands in 2003; from 1915 until then, English had been the only official language of the Cook Islands.

### Te Reo Māori Anga o 2003

The Te Reo Maori Act 2003 states that Māori:

* (a) means the Māori language (including its various dialects) as spoken or written in any island of the Cook Islands; and
* (b) Is deemed to include Pukapukan as spoken or written in Pukapuka; and
* (c) Includes Māori that conforms to the national standard for Māori approved by Kopapa Reo

Pukapukan is considered by scholars and speakers alike to be a distinct language more closely related to Sāmoan and Tokelauan than Cook Islands Māori. It belongs to the Samoic subgroup of the Polynesian language family. The intention behind including Pukapukan in the definition of Te Reo Maori was to ensure its protection.

The dialects of the East Polynesian varieties of the Cook Islands (collectively referred to as Cook Islands Māori) are:

* Rakahanga-Manihiki
* Penrhyn (Tongarevan or Mangarongaro);
* Southern: Rarotongan, Ngā Pū Toru (the dialects of Atiu, Mitiaro and Mauke), Aitutaki, Mangaia.

Cook Islands Māori is closely related to Tahitian and Māori, and there is a degree of mutual intelligibility with both of these languages.

The language is theoretically regulated by the *Kopapa Reo* created in 2003, but this organisation is currently dormant.

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