About the Organisation - Te Maeva Nui NZ

Our aim is to deliver Cook Islands event services to the world, with the hopes of maintaining the pride of Cook Islanders living away from their homeland.

These celebrations are held in the hopes of maintaing Cook Islands language, heritage and culture. The trust is a collaboration between the Cook Islands community, its leaders, and business entrepeneurs in the Auckland Cook Islands community.

This is an opportunity for Cook Islanders to put their best foot forward,
becoming involved in the planning and implementation of events for their people from a governance, and management perspective.

This is a trust for the people, with the people, and by the people!

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This is an important device for our young people, and for Cook Islanders born outside of the Cook Islands, to discover and explore the culture of their ancestors.

Te Maeva Nui has been a focal point in the calendars of many Cook Islanders in the home country, however, the population of Cook Islanders in New Zealand is such that a festival of the same sort is warranted in order to include New Zealand based Cook Islanders in those celebrations. The New Zealand version of Te Maeva Nui will be based on the Cook Islands version, engaging Vaka’s and Enua’s from around the country.

PEOPLE

We are focussed on giving the community a voice to express their relationship with their culture.

LANGUAGE

The loss of a language is a terrible thing! It leads to the loss of ones identity. Using ancient methods, chants, songs, and performance, we can help to reinvigorate the Cook Islands language in our people, both old and young.

CULTURE

Not being exposed to the Cook Islands culture in New Zealand leads to losses in the understanding of that culture. This is one way of integrating their culture back into the lives of our people.

COMMUNITY

We’re an inclusive organisation with community at its core. Our community is our primary focus, not profits.