As we celebrate 60 years of self governance, with the theme “Kua kite au i toku turanga, e avaiki toku – I know who I am, I have a homeland” – we also reflect on significant moments for us as a country, writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.

One chapter that stands out, was advocating for a nuclear-free Pacific. One where we utilised the tools of the past, to advance a future threatened by the advances of the modern age, and said kare, kaore, aita.

In July 1995, the voyaging vaka Te Au o Tonga, built with the vision of former prime minister Sir Tom Davis, sailed from Rarotonga to join a protest flotilla at Moruroa, standing in solidarity with our Moana cousins in Mā’ohi Nui (French Polynesia) to oppose nuclear testing on their enua and in our moana. The 1995 voyage to Moruroa was part of a broader initiative called “Vaka ki Moruroa”, which saw various nations in the moana, uniting in opposition to nuclear testing.

This act of solidarity underscored not only the Cook Islands’ commitment to a nuclear-free Pacific it also highlighted the strength of regional unity in confronting environmental and geopolitical challenges, much like today. On board Te Au o Tonga, were names synonymous with our voyaging history, present and past – Pittman, Patia, Marsters, Karika, Pekepo, Daniels, Goodwin and Kairua to name a few.  And at home the many including then prime minister, Sir Geoffery Henry made a stand for our deep connection to the Moana and our unwavering commitment to protecting her and preserving her, above and below the waves.

Today, that commitment remains just as urgent. Recently, Mā’ohi Nui advocates, including Hinamoeura Cross, Puarai Teavaerai (executive director of NGO Moruroa E Tātou), Tamatoa Tepuhiarii, and Vehia Wheeler, attended the Third Meeting of State Parties (3MSP) for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in New York.

They stood before the world to demand accountability from France, which conducted 193 nuclear detonations in Mā’ohi Nui from 1966 to 1996. Nuclear tests that continue to leave a devastating legacy — not only for the enua and moana, but for the people of Mā’ohi Nui, whose lives have been irrevocably altered by these actions.

France has acknowledged 23 types of cancers directly linked to those detonations, yet justice for the victims remains elusive. Environmental fallout has poisoned the land and moana, yet there is frustration by those affected for the acknowledgement of the damage to their land, ocean and lives. This is the tragic reality of decisions made decades ago — decisions that continue to harm generations of moana peoples today.

Advocate Hinamoeura Cross whose parents were affected by these tests, now suffers from leukaemia — a stark reminder that these acts are not just stories of the past but ongoing realities for families today. This painful legacy must sit at the forefront of our minds as we also weigh the choices we make today for tomorrow.

For us, our significant role in opposing nuclear testing is a reminder that the decisions we make today carry consequences for generations to come, for the good and for the bad. And, that the interests of powerful nations seeking influence in our region can come cloaked in promises of economic development and security. Yet history reminds us, our cousins in Mā’ohi Nui remind us, and advocates like Hinamoeura reminds us that short-term gains can leave long-term, irrevocable scars on land, in our moana and in our very bones.

As voyagers of the moana, we know that every decision on the vaka demands vision — choosing the right winds, reading the currents, stars, moon and sun. Our Tupuna knew that survival depended on thinking not just about the present journey but about those who would follow after us. The nuclear legacy in our moana stands as a warning: careless decisions made today about our moana, and enua can bring suffering to those not yet born. Good decisions, good advice and consultation, however, ensures the longevity of our people, our land and the moana we have been entrusted to protect.

To our Mā’ohi Nui cousins who are fighting for justice in New York — kia ka’a kia toa. Your courage echoes the voices of those who sailed on Te Au o Tonga and all who stood against the dark shadow of nuclear testing. The journey for justice is long, but we stand with you, vaka to vaka, enua to enua, moana to moana and that it remains nuclear free.