02/08/2026
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Cook Islands Māori Language Week Highlights Urgent Push to Reclaim Indigenous Language Across the Pacific
AUCKLAND, New Zealand| 2nd August 2026: As Cook Islands Māori Language Week begins, one of the Pacific's leading Indigenous linguists is calling on Cook Islands Māori to let go of the guilt associated with not speaking their ancestral language, saying language loss is rooted in history rather than personal failure.
Running from 2–8 August, this year's Cook Islands Māori Language Week carries the theme: "Me kite koe i te tuatua i to'ou reo tupuna, e turanga rangatira tena nō'ou no te uki amuri atu" "With our language as our foundation, we will embrace the future."
Dr Ake Nicholas, a senior lecturer in Māori Studies at the University of Auckland's Waipapa Taumata Rau, says many Cook Islands Māori living in New Zealand have grown up feeling ashamed that they cannot speak te reo Māori Kūki 'Āirani.
"If you are a descendant of one of these communities and you don't know your heritage language, that's not because of something you have done," Nicholas said.
She argues that the decline of Indigenous languages across the Cook Islands and other Pacific communities is closely linked to colonial education systems and government language policies that discouraged the use of Indigenous languages across generations.
"It is impossible to blame yourself for decisions that were made before you were born."
An internationally recognised Indigenous linguist, Nicholas has spent her career advancing the revitalisation of Cook Islands Māori through teaching, research and programme development. She played a key role in establishing the Diploma in Cook Islands Māori at the University of the South Pacific, creating new opportunities for formal language learning within the Cook Islands.
Her research extends beyond language education into Indigenous knowledge systems and emerging technologies. Working alongside engineers and computer scientists, she is exploring how artificial intelligence can support Indigenous languages through "Frugal AI" an approach focused on developing responsible, sustainable and culturally appropriate technology.
Nicholas recently received recognition for an award-winning essay examining the constitutional relationship between New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau, and how that shared history has influenced the survival of Indigenous languages across the Realm of New Zealand.
She says many students seeking to reconnect with their heritage language arrive carrying anxiety and self-doubt, but understanding the historical causes of language loss can replace shame with confidence and encourage new generations to reclaim their
"It is about ensuring future generations can speak, think, create and innovate through the language of their ancestors." She said.
The message comes as the majority of Cook Islands people now live outside their homeland. Around 80,000 people of Cook Islands heritage live in New Zealand, compared with roughly 13,000 residents in the Cook Islands, making Aotearoa home to the world's largest Cook Islands community.
