Editorials
Te Ipukarea Society: Te Reo O Te Moana – The voice of the ocean
Saturday 12 April 2025 | Written by Te Ipukarea Society | Published in Editorials, Opinion
Te Ipukarea Society was recently invited to French Polynesia to participate in an event known as “Te Reo O Te Moana”, the voice of the ocean.
Thomas Wynne: Seasons of change
Saturday 12 April 2025 | Written by Thomas Tarurongo Wynne | Published in Editorials, Opinion
I do so love Papa Jon Tikivanotau Jonassen’s book Pe’e Maori. In it he writes, “Ko te moemoea ma te umuumu,ka ‘akaperepere e ka rave” – To dream and to hope is to plan and to do – Our future needs both vision and action (Peri Mose 1968), writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.
OPINION: China-Cook Islands agreements spark public debate
Thursday 10 April 2025 | Written by Supplied | Published in Editorials, Opinion
The Cook Islands has found itself in the global spotlight recently, and not for reasons that inspire confidence, writes Professor Anne-Marie Brady.
Ruta Mave: The price of questionable partnerships
Monday 7 April 2025 | Written by Ruta Tangiiau Mave | Published in Editorials, Opinion
Collaboration is the action of working with someone to produce something, it is the cooperation of people, an alliance and partnership that forms stronger bonds so more can be achieved than alone, writes Ruta Mave.
Thomas Wynne: The truth cannot be buried
Saturday 5 April 2025 | Written by Thomas Tarurongo Wynne | Published in Editorials, Opinion
The exhumation of a woman’s body in Ma’uke, and the homicide investigation now underway, is just heartbreaking, writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.
Te Ipukarea Society: Filling knowledge gaps on rare seabirds in the Cook Islands
Saturday 5 April 2025 | Written by Te Ipukarea Society | Published in Editorials, Opinion
Petrels and shearwaters make up a unique group of seabirds. Their beaks have a distinctive “tubenose” which is used for filtering salt out of salt water and marine prey, allowing them to thrive in the open ocean.
Ruta Mave: Government’s real jokes on the people
Monday 31 March 2025 | Written by Ruta Tangiiau Mave | Published in Editorials, Opinion
Tomorrow is April Fool’s Day and I recently read that it was going to be cancelled. The reason – there was such foolishness happening in governments around the world that surely it must be a joke, writes Ruta Mave.
Thomas Wynne: Income divide
Saturday 29 March 2025 | Written by Thomas Tarurongo Wynne | Published in Editorials, Opinion
In the second and final part of “The Land of Milk and Honey” series, columnist Thomas Tarurongo Wynne continues his comparison of figures between Cook Islanders at home and in Aotearoa New Zealand, and examines what the data reveals about the two populations.
Te Ipukarea Society: Giving the floor to indigenous voices
Saturday 29 March 2025 | Written by Te Ipukarea Society | Published in Editorials, Opinion
As the International Seabed Authority (ISA) assembly meeting in Jamaica nears its conclusion for 2025, Itirangi Pennycook highlights key moments from a busy and eventful time attending as observers on behalf of Te Ipukarea Society (TIS), writes Itirangi Pennycook.
Ruta Mave: Need independent thinking women in politics
Monday 24 March 2025 | Written by Ruta Tangiiau Mave | Published in Editorials, Opinion
Established and growing research results show that women’s leadership in political decision-making processes improves them, writes Ruta Mave.
Thomas Wynne: Milk and honey lost?
Saturday 22 March 2025 | Written by Thomas Tarurongo Wynne | Published in Editorials, Opinion
The land of milk and honey? Or did we leave the milk and honey behind, writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.
Te Ipukarea Society: Cycles, coconuts, salmon and us
Saturday 22 March 2025 | Written by Te Ipukarea Society | Published in Editorials, Opinion
June Hosking and Itirangi Pennycook are representing Te Ipukarea Society in Jamaica at the 2025 International Seabed Authority (ISA) negotiations. This article was prompted by a speech by the Hereditary Chief of the Wolf Clan of the Gitxsan Nation, Canada.
Thomas Wynne: Defining Christian nation
Saturday 15 March 2025 | Written by Thomas Tarurongo Wynne | Published in Editorials, Opinion
If we are to make the Cook Islands a Christian nation, we must first ask: what version of Christianity are we talking about? Thomas Tarurongo Wynne writes.
Te Ipukarea Society: Deep-sea mining- A new environmental crisis looms
Saturday 15 March 2025 | Written by Te Ipukarea Society | Published in Editorials, Opinion
This article is based on a recent peer reviewed article, Metal mining on land versus the ocean in the context of the current Biodiversity Crisis, by V. Tunnicliff et.al. published on 5th March 2025 in the NPJ Ocean Sustainability Journal.
Dr Paul R P Allsworth: The passport saga and the rising dragon
Friday 14 March 2025 | Written by Supplied | Published in Editorials, Opinion
The Cook Islands passport saga with New Zealand and the Comprehensive Partnership Agreement with China have raised serious public concerns sending national and international alarm bells that goes far beyond our shores, writes Terea Mataiapo Dr Paul R P Allsworth.
Celebrating the uniqueness of women
Monday 10 March 2025 | Written by Ruta Tangiiau Mave | Published in Editorials, Opinion
Women’s day is not to be confused with Mothers’ Day. This is not a time to celebrate what label we are but who we are, writes Ruth Mave.
Thomas Wynne: Protecting the future
Saturday 8 March 2025 | Written by Thomas Tarurongo Wynne | Published in Editorials, Opinion
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.
Te Ipukarea Society: Fresh eyes on the Takitumu Conservation Area
Friday 7 March 2025 | Written by Te Ipukarea Society | Published in Editorials, Opinion
The care with which the TCA is managed is clear, preserving its unique ecosystems and biodiversity, writes Gemma Langley.
Te Tuhi Kelly: Reshaping education for the next generation
Tuesday 4 March 2025 | Written by Te Tuhi Kelly | Published in Editorials, Opinion
The latest Education NCEA results are pretty embarrassing to be honest. The headline says it all – “29 teachers leave: Mokoroa explains teacher shortage and declining results – Cook Islands News”, writes Te Tuhi Kelly.
Thomas Wynne: Readying the sails for home
Friday 28 February 2025 | Written by Thomas Tarurongo Wynne | Published in Editorials, Opinion
Four years ago, in December 2019, like so many of our people, I made the difficult decision to leave behind all I knew and had built – my wife, my parents, my family – to seek new skills and new learnings beyond the reef in another government and Parliament, writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.