Two passionate Cook Islanders living in New Zealand have embarked on an ambitious project aimed at protecting and revitalising the Cook Islands language for future generations.

Known as "Endala" – short for ‘Endangered Languages’ –the project involves the development of a mobile app designed to support endangered languages across the Pacific, starting with Cook Islands Māori.

The app aims to reach the large diaspora community, where preserving language and cultural identity faces challenges due to the influence of foreign languages and cultural shifts.

The developers say the need for a tool like Endala is clear when looking at recent census data in New Zealand.

According to Statistics New Zealand, only 9 percent of the more than 80,000 Cook Islanders living there speak Te Reo Māori, showing that language fluency is limited within the community overseas.

Fuemana Ngaro told Cook Islands News, the initiative came from her desire to preserve the language provoked by personal experiences.

“We're really excited about this project and would love to have a chat with you about it,” she said.

“Endala is a passion project that we're doing outside of work and we were moved to start reconnecting back to the reo during my nana’s last years.”

With a mission to reclaim, reconnect, and preserve the Te Reo Māori of the Cook Islands, Ngaro and her team are applying their professional skills in digital design and youth advocacy to create an interactive platform that will enable Cook Islanders worldwide to engage with their native language.

The Endala team is made up of three key members with a shared vision. Ngaro and her colleague, both designers, contribute their skills from the tech industry, where they work on major digital projects, including ANZ’s app and internet banking experience.

Their third team member, who has a background in videography and youth facilitation, brings expertise in media production, which will be critical in creating engaging and accessible content for the app.

“We wanted to use our skills to contribute to digitally preserving, reconnecting, and reclaiming our reo, which is how Endala began,” Ngaro said.

“Endala is the mixture of the two words - endangered and languages.”

The app is still in its developmental phase, but the team’s long-term vision is expansive. While they are focusing on Cook Islands Māori as a starting point, their hope is that Endala will eventually evolve to include a range of endangered Pacific languages.