Cook Islands Māori Language Week 2024
It is Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani | Cook Islands Māori Language Week in Aotearoa.
The 2024 theme for Cook Islands Māori Language Week is ‘Ātui’ia au ki te vaka o tōku matakeinanga - connect me to the canoe of my tribe’.
AUT alumnus Chrismagne Elikana — Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) — shares how he sees being grounded in the language of his homelands as a way of sustaining connection with his ancestors and carrying cultural stories forward for future generations.
He says, “Whether you were born in New Zealand or born in Australia, if you’re a Cook Islander and you know you’re a Cook Islander, and you’re learning your Cook Island language, it doesn’t matter what anyone says. Don’t let anyone’s opinion decide whether you’re Cook Islander enough to learn the Cook Island language.
“Sustaining our language is really important. It is a piece of history. It’s a connection from us to our ancestors,” he says.
AUT’s Pacific language videos are a celebration of the power of language and culture featuring our alumni who are sharing their experience and journey with sustaining language.
The videos feature a diverse range of alumni, from business leaders to educators, community leaders and more who are all passionate about sustaining languages for future generations.
Through their stories, it will be evident the many ways in which language is a vital component of cultural identity and the ways our alumni have implemented it into their daily lives.
2024 Pacific Language Weeks
To watch each video in AUT’s Pacific language series, follow Pacific at AUT Facebook page or on YouTube.
- Tonga Language Week: Sunday 18 – Saturday 24 August
- Tuvalu Language Week: Sunday 29 September – Saturday 5 October
- Fijian Language Week: Sunday 6 – Saturday 12 October
- Niue Language Week: Sunday 13 – Saturday 19 October
- Tokelau Language Week: Sunday 27 October – Saturday 2 November
- New: Papua New Guinea Pidgin Language Week: Sunday 10 – Saturday 16 November
- New: Solomon Islands Pidgin Language Week: Sunday 24 – Saturday 30 November.