Opinion

Culture without language – a seed planted in shallow earth

New Zealand-born Cook Islander Brandon Mataio Jammae Ulfsby shares his journey of relearning o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani as the annual ‘Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki 'Āirani: Cook Islands Language Week started yesterday in NZ.

Fairness vs. inclusion: Finding balance in rules for transgender athletes

The drugs for transgender females suppress testosterone but does not result in more feminine features, like higher voice pitch, more body fat to muscle ratio, whereas a transgender male taking testosterone will have a lower voice, more facial body hair, more musculature.

LETTER: Dredging of Muri lagoon passage

Dear Editor It is important to set the record straight regarding Minister Mac Mokoroa’s statement (on Cook Islands News Facebook page) that dredging of “Muri Lagoon passage” wasn’t permitted to go ahead to allow for the 2008 Pacific Mini Games. The people of Ngatangiia should be congratulated for having the sense not to allow such an ill-conceived project to go ahead.

Our people are our greatest resource

It saddens me that we are forced to look to foreign workers to fill our current labour shortage when maybe we could fill that with our own people, even if it were for three or six month contracts.

WTF – Where's the Fish?

Everyone is wondering WTF? - Wheres the Fish? Anecdotally, across the Cook Islands people are talking about this big issues saying catches are low, even for this time of year, writes Te Ipukarea Society.

KATA: Defence in indecent assault case

LETTERS: Government is ‘not a family business’

Letters for July 30, 2021

KATA: Extended stay for a unique visitor

LETTERS: Jungle trek ‘challenging but amazing’

Letters for Wednesday July 28

KATA: Dying to see the turtles

KATA: Forging a new track

LETTERS: Promoting political agendas?

Letters for July 27, 2021

OPINION: Cook Islands benefitting from Covid-free status

Like me, you can’t have helped but notice that we are back in the visitor business again. No, we’re not back up to the sort of numbers we were getting pre-Covid, but they have been steadily growing, writes Prime Minister Mark Brown.

OPINION: Fashion at the Olympic Games

In the Cook Islands before the missionaries came, we used local plants and rauti to cover our heads, necks, shoulders and hips. It was the missionaries who covered us from neck to toe with colonial clothes especially the muumuu, which was more like a nightdress formless and plain, writes Ruta Mave.

Discovering your life’s purpose

The fruit of purpose is a fruit we can all eat from, unlike the fruit of self service and self-promotion which is bitter and rotten to the core, writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.

OPINION: Sharing culture brings people together

When Wes Tikiariki Roberts, the ‘Atiu Rocket’, led the Cook Islands team into the stadium in Tokyo during the Olympic Games official opening ceremony, Cook Islander hearts swelled with pride, and Australia was cheering him on as well, writes Dr Christopher Watkins, the Australian High Commissioner to Cook Islands.

OPINION: Trawling for ocean plastics on Marumaru Atua enroute to Suwarrow

The Marumaru Atua vaka is enroute to Suwarrow now, after visiting four northern group islands and Aitutaki so far. It carries with it a message of ocean health. One area the vaka is focusing on is oceans plastics, writes Te Ipukarea Society.