The Cook Islands community in Hawai’i is enjoying the cherished opportunity to reconnect with families and friends, while also making new connections with the visiting Cook Islands delegation. Melina Etches reports from Honolulu.

The 160-member Cook Islands delegation to the 13^th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) arrived in Honolulu, Hawai’i on Monday morning.

The delegation, which includes Prime Minister Mark Brown, Minister of Cultural Development George “Maggie” Angene and Kaumaiti Nui Travel Tou Ariki, was welcomed by fellow countrymen at a special event on Monday afternoon.

William Numanga, coordinator of the Hawaiian Cook Islands community, said that more than a hundred Cook Islanders live on Oahu. They were thrilled to welcome the FestPAC team from the Cook Islands with a kaikai at Kapiʻolani Regional Park.

“We are a small group here and we love welcoming and meeting with our people from back home,” said Numanga, who was overwhelmed and happy to see Cook Islanders from home.

“We are so proud as Cook Islanders here of our Pacific Arts festival team and we are proud that our Prime Minister, Kaumaiti Nui, Minister of Culture and leaders from home are here with us.”

Numanga said the gathering was also an opportunity for their children and families to get to know those from home, to connect and build on relationships.

“I’m just grateful that we’ve been given this opportunity to be with you all from home. We are proud to promote and offer the support that we can.”

Numanga said the establishment of direct flights between Honolulu and Rarotonga has created a link that has led to more Cook Islanders visiting Hawai’i.

He said apart from tourists, the direct link is also great for our own Cook Islanders to reconnect with family back home in the Cook Islands.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Cook Islands National Arts Theatre (CINAT) team regularly performed for six weeks at the Polynesian Culture Center (PCC) at BYU.

Numanga said they had also set up a temporary village for the Cook Islands delegation to perform at, and that it was a good opportunity to promote and market the Cook Islands.

On June 13, the CINAT team will be performing at the Polynesian Culture Center once again.

Speaking at the welcome event, Prime Minister Brown said: “It is a really wonderful occasion; we can see the spread of our Cook Islands community right throughout the Pacific and here in Hawai'i as well. It is a good example of their hosting of our team and they have really pulled together to put on this spread for us.”

Brown said the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) is a testament to the past leaders who initiated the concept of the festival. FestPAC serves as a means of preserving our traditions and showcasing our cultures at a time when they were at risk of erosion and loss.

The Prime Minister also noted the excitement of the CINAT team, the artisans and delegation who are proud to be a part of this year’s event.

“The energy, enthusiasm and creativity from this CINAT team I know has really blown a lot of people away by their performance back home on Rarotonga last Friday,” said Brown.

“Here their job will be really to put on and showcase to the rest of the Pacific how the Cook Islands performs.

“Through this festival (we will be) seeing new talent coming through, new ideas brought through, but ideas that are owned by us, by the Pacific people, owned by the Cook Islands, and other countries and their cultures, and they will have a chance to showcase to the world.”