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‘Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki 'Airani - Cook Islands Māori Language Week

‘Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki 'Airani - Cook Islands Māori Language Week

Celebrate: 2 - 8 August 2026

The 2026 theme for Cook Islands Māori Language Week is “Me kite koe i te tuatua i to’ou reo tupuna, e turanga rangatira tena nō’ou no te uki amuri atu" - With our language as our foundation, we will embrace the future.

Resources, including social media graphics and posters, are available to download now.

2026 Cook Islands Language Week resources

2026 Cook Islands Language Week events

Date

Event

Time & Venue

Host

Sunday 2 August

Apii Reo mama

Takutai-Ote-Titi Marae

6am - 12pm,

Takutai-o-te-Titi Marae/Colic Bay

 

Kia Orana Murihiku

Sunday 2 August

Invercargill Cook Islands Church Ministers Program

2pm - 4pm

Pacific Island Charitable Trust, 135 Bowmont St

Invercargill Cook Islands Church Ministers Program

Date

Event

Time & Venue

Host

Monday 3 August

Kia Orana Murihiku Exhibition

11am - 12:30pm

Invercargill Centre Mall 

 

Kia Orana Murihiku

Monday 3 August

Te Vaka ote Uki Ou culture promotions into schools 

10:30am - 1pm

School visit 

Te Vaka ote Uki Ou Culture Team

Date

Event

Time & Venue

Host

Tuesday 4 August

Pa Metua Day - Cook Island Independence Day
Activities includes: Kai Korero by islands, traditional activities and entertainment.

10am - 2pm 

Pacific Island Charitable Trust, 135 Bormont St

 

Pa Metua Kuki Airni

Date

Event

Time & Venue

Host

Wednesday 5 August

Te Vaka ote Uki Ou culture Promotions into schools

10:30am - 1pm

School visit

 

Te Vaka ote Uki Ou Culture Team

Date

Event

Time & Venue

Host

Thursday 6 August

Vainetini
Activities include: Ei Katu making/patchwork/making Mangaia tiromi. (learners and students.)

10am - 2pm

Pacific Island Charitable Trust, 135 Bormont St

 

Taokotaianga Vainetini Kuki Airani

Thursday 6 August

Te Vaka ote Uki Ou culture promotion into schools

10:30am - 1pm

School Visit

Te Vaka ote Uki Ou Culture Team

Thursday 6 August

Tara Mangaia Workshop

5:30pm

The Pod, 260 Ness St

Kia Orana Murihiku

Date

Event

Time & Venue

Host

Friday 7 August

Kew Pacific pre-school language program & activities

11am - 1pm

Pacific Island Charitable Trust, 135 Bormont St

 

Pacific Island Charitable Trust (PIACT)

Friday 7 August

Te Vaka ote Uki Ou culture promotions into schools

10:30am - 1pm

School visit

 

Te Vaka ote Uki Ou Culture Team

Date

Event

Time & Venue

Host

Saturday 8 August

Mangaia Day

Tau Umu/Mangaia Hangi

Variety of Mangaia activities & entertainments 

 

6am

11am - 3pm   

Mangaia Hall 153 Stirrat St 

Southland Mangaia Club

Saturday 8 August

Pacific Market

9am

Pacific Market, Pacific Island Charitable Trust, 135 Bowmont

 

Pacific Island Charitable Trust (PIACT)
Saturday 8 August Culture Performance/Te Vaka ote Uki Ou 

10:30am

Te Vaka ote Uki Ou - Culture

 

Date

Event

Time & Venue

Host

Sunday 9 August

Combin Church Service
Closing Combined Church Service

2pm - 4pm

Pacific Island Charitable Trust  135 Bowmont St

Invercargill Cook Island Church Ministers Program

Cook Islands Māori Language Week Funding Recipients

Below are recipients of funding for community contributions towards Cook Islands Māori Language Week preparations in 2026:

Organisation/Group Name

Location

Approved Amount

Language

East Cook Islands Community Culture Group Inc Auckland $2910

Kūki 'Airani

Southland Mangaia Society Incorporated Southland $3200 Kūki 'Airani
Atuitui Charitable Trust Southland  $2700 Kūki 'Airani
Cook Islands Community Society (Tokoroa) Incorporated Tokoroa $10,000 Kūki 'Airani
Cook Islands Teachers & Educators Collective NZ Auckland $5000 Kūki 'Airani
Taokotaianga Vainetini Kuki Airani Southland Southland $1800 Kūki 'Airani
Cook Islands Community Whanganui Whanganui $1710 Kūki 'Airani
Matahoraua Tamariki Tukaao Aotearoa Auckland $2000 Kūki 'Airani
Tufine Pasifika  Auckland $1500 Kūki 'Airani
Te Vaka Cook Islands Dunedin Inc Dunedin $3000 Kūki 'Airani
Kia Orāna Murihiku Charitable Trust Southland $2680 Kūki 'Airani
Victory Church of Wellington Wellington $6500 Kūki 'Airani
A'ua'u 'Enua Mangaia Culture Group Auckland $4000 Kūki 'Airani
Rotorua CookIslands Society Incorporated Rotorua $3000 Kūki 'Airani

Below are recipients of funding for community contributions towards Cook Islands Māori Language Week preparations in 2025:

Organisation/Group Name

Location

Approved Amount

Language

Te Hiku Avaiki Nui

Northland

$1500

Kūki 'Airani

Te Punanga Tauturu O Te Kuki Airani Auckland $4000 Kūki 'Airani
Kuki Learning Limited Christchurch $4900 Kūki 'Airani
Akatokamanava Mauke Enua Association (Nz) Incorporated Auckland $4300 Kūki 'Airani
Cook Islands Development Agency New Zealand Auckland $10,300 Kūki 'Airani
Hawkes Bay Community Group Hawkes Bay $2500 Kūki 'Airani
Cook Islands Community Society (Tokoroa) Incorporated Tokoroa $10,000 Kūki 'Airani
Taokotaianga Vainetini Kuki Airani Southland Southland $1950 Kūki 'Airani
Cook island Christian Church Society Invercargill (CICC Society Inc) Southland $4240 Kūki 'Airani
Te Moananui Society Incorporated Tauranga $2000 Kūki 'Airani
East Cook Islands Community Culture Group Inc Auckland $2500 Kūki 'Airani

Below are recipients of funding for community contributions towards Cook Islands Māori Language Week preparations in 2024:

Organisation/Group Name

Location

Approved Amount

Language

Initiative focus

Te Hiku Avaiki Nui

Northland

$1,500

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning through community awareness event, cultural arts and crafts exhibition.

Cook Islands Development Agency New Zealand

Auckland

$12,000

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning through digital/online learning, traditional dance, arts and crafts, and music.

Aitutaki Enua Society Incorporated

Auckland

$11,500

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning through community awareness events, cultural arts and traditional cooking.

Tama'aru Dance Group

Auckland

$1,560

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning through traditional dance, community awareness workshops and arts and crafts activities.

Maine Kuki Airani Aotearoa (Miss Cook Islands NZ)

Auckland

$500

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning through community awareness events.

Akatokamanava Mauke Enua Association (NZ) Inc

Auckland

$3,500

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning through oral history, music and storytelling activities.

East Cook Islands Community Culture Group Inc

Auckland

$1,469.40

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning through community awareness, arts and crafts, music, and traditional dancing activities.

Polynesian Creative Artists

Auckland

$2,000

Kūki 'Airani

Learning activities through community awareness and cultural arts workshops.

Hamilton Cook Islands Association Incorporated (HAMCIA)

Waikato

$1,800

Kūki 'Airani

Learning activities through community awareness in schools and music and traditional dance activities.

Te Moananui Society Incorporated

Bay of Plenty

$900

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning through community awareness events and traditional dance and music.

Rotorua Cook Islands Society Incorporated

Bay of Plenty

$3,800

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning through community awareness events, arts and crafts, and traditional dance.

Akatokamanava Organisation Wellington Incorporated

Wellington 

$1,100

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning through storytelling and oral history workshops.

Cannons Creek Business Owners Collective Trust

Wellington

$1,500

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning community awareness events, arts and crafts workshops.

Porirua Cook Islands Association

Wellington

$2,500

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning activities through community awareness events, oratory, arts and crafts, and health promotion.

Ekalesia Kerisitiano Kuki Airani

Wellington

$2,700

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning workshops through community awareness events, cooking, arts and crafts and intergenerational fellowship.

Cook Islands Canterbury Rugby League

Canterbury

$1,425

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning community awareness event/ workshops and health and wellbeing activities.

Te Vaka Cook Islands Dunedin Inc

Otago

$2,150

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning through workshops and educational resources.

Atuitui Charitable Trust

Southland

$900

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning through community awareness events in the Southland region.

Below are recipients of funding for community contributions towards Cook Islands Māori Language Week preparations in 2023:

Organisation/Group Name

Location

Approved Amount

Language

Initiative focus

Cook Islands Development Agency New Zealand

Auckland

$50,000

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning through digital/online learning, traditional dance, arts and crafts, and music

Below are recipients of funding for community contributions towards Cook Islands Māori Language Week preparations in 2022:

Organisation/Group Name

Location

Approved Amount

Language

Initiative focus

CIDANZ

Wellington

50,000.00

Kūki 'Airani

Language week: language learning through community awareness events, conversational classes, reading and writing, cultural and traditional practices, oratory, storytelling, arts and crafts, dance and music workshops 

Below are recipients of funding for community contributions towards Cook Islands Māori Language Week preparations in 2021:

Organisation/Group Name

Location

 Approved Amount

Language

Initiative focus

CIDANZ

Wellington

50,000.00

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning classes for all levels and teach through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, arts and craft, dance, music and events

Cook Islands Society of Tokoroa

Hamilton

5,000.00

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, and storytelling

Te Vaka Cook Islands of Dunedin Inc

Dunedin

5,000.00

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, and church resources

Victoria University of Wellington Cook Islands Association

Wellington

1,930.00

Kūki 'Airani

Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, arts and craft, dance, music and showcasing Cook Islands films