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HERALD WEEKLY ISSUE 434 : 19 November 2008

Takitumu Cook Islands wows crowd!

“Being welcomed by a contingent of 2000 plus warriors at the opening powhiri last week was a spine tingling and emotional moment for the Takitumu people of the Cook Islands and a once in a lifetime event that may never be repeated,” said Pa Ariki following the opening session of the Takitumu Festival in Hastings last week.
“Our participation at this Festival has met all of our expectations and I am proud of the group from Rarotonga who took part at this Festival. From the moment we left Rarotonga to the end of the Festival, our group maintained the mana expected of them and this was certainly noticeable throughout the festivities.” There was no doubting the Takitumu CIs group from Rarotonga added a special touch to our Ngati Kahungunu cousins activities through the presence of Pa Ariki, her Mataipo, Rangatira and Taunga’s who accompanied Pa Ariki on her delegation.
Everyone from our Taungas, our musicians and members of our delegation carried our Takitumu and Cook Islands flag with pride and honour and it was awesome to be a part of that experience. We are also grateful that our Prime Minister was present because he added a special presence in supporting the Takitumu Delegation and was the only Head of State from the Pacific that were invited, present at these celebrations. It is a pity that there was insufficient time to sit down with the Prime Minister prior to the Festival to brief him on the Festival. For him to come on his own accord paying for his own travel and accommodation showed his commitment on behalf of the people of the Cook Islands and we acknowledge his presence. The fact that government did not support his travel is to say the least, embarrassing but we were proud of the fact that he came and saw firsthand, the importance and significance of re-establishing our links with Maori in terms of future development.
Our guest presenters Vaine Wichman and Ngatuaine Maui added a sense of mana to their presentations at the economic and cultural summits which were well attended by an array of academics, government officials and private sector representatives. Their presentations were well received and provided another excellent dimension to Maoridom in terms of our history and culture. Unfortunately there was insufficient time to present our history on the Vaka during the Vaka Wananga but we were aptly represented at the special summits during the early morning sessions on pacific Wananga retracing the history of the Vaka’s voyage through the pacific.
We were also glad to have included in our group, our Takitumu people from Auckland and Wellington. Apart from a few minor problems relating to protocol and the purpose of our participation, the final performance on the closing evening program saw a spectacular presentation and performance of C.Is culture and tradition when Pa Ariki was carried in on a paata by her own warriors escorted by the traditional pe’e chants and conch shell blowing. For those who were there including the delegation from Rarotonga and NZ, it was certainly an emotional moment where it was proud to be a Cook Island person. Our musicians gave a riveting performance with the theme song Vaka Takitumu that was composed especially for this occasion and sung aptly by our very own Curly George, Rangi Henry, Andre Tapena, Tara Kauvai Vavia, Jake Numanga and Kathy Brown. In fact, their performance was considered the highlight of the evening by those who attended because of the groups intention of focusing on culture and tradition. Jake, already an international identity at the Rarotonga International Airport gave impromptu performances during the day at the festival wowing not only the old, but the younger generation.
One thing that must be mentioned was that on the morning of the official powhiri, Hastings was covered in a mist considered unusual by local Maori. Prior to the powhiri, the mist cleared and you could sense a feeling of great emotion and power as Maori performed the hakas in welcoming their visitors. Many of the Takitumu group commented that they felt the power which later translated into emotions , something they had not experienced before.
Mention must also be made of our stall holders who accompanied the group and did a fantastic job in promoting the Cook Islands. This has been a truly rewarding experience for our Cook Islands participants and for Pa Ariki, a stepping stone towards reconnecting with Maori through the Vaka Takitumu.
A special presentation was made to the Ngati Kahungunu Chairman who was accorded a traditional o’ora on behalf of the Takitumu delegation. He was overcome with emotion during the presentation ceremony and became speechless.
In concluding this part of the Festival, it was announced that Ngati Kahungunu have invited the Cook Islands Takitumu group to consider joining their Head Office in Wellington specifically to facilitate Takitumu interests and issues. According to Pa Ariki, this is the pinnacle of our trip and we will be sitting down looking at all options as to how this fantastic offer can be progressed on our return to Rarotonga. Overall, it has been an excellent trip with a positive outcome that not only benefits our people but potentially serves to strengthen our ongoing relationship with our cousins from Aotearoa.

Herald Issue 434 19 November
- Takitumu Cook Islands wows crowd!
- Members breach environmental rules
- Police waiting on Pathologist’s report into woman’s death
- Leadership course next week
- Vaka Eiva exhibition at The Art Studio