From the book: Pe'e Māori Traditional Cook Islands Chants

Author: Jon Tikivanotau Michael Jonassen

Segment: 5.1.1.

TUROU ORO MAI [Pe'e]

Tūrou, Oro māi. Taka'i mai ki runga i teia paepae. Piki mai ki runga i teia toka mou. Te marae tapu o te matakeinanga. 'I konei tatou 'akatakapātoa ei. 'Iri'iri korero ei. Tākave ei. Iō-kokou.

PRAISES WELCOME [Chant]

Praises. Welcome. Step on this ground. Climb on this solid rock. Sacred ground of the tribe. Here we will exchange words, embrace and share our love. Almighty God bless us. Celebrate.

Meet the boys from Kuki Learning, Charlie Charlie and Tom Harrison. Their mission? Keeping the Cook Islands Māori language and culture alive (because if they don’t, who will…Google Translate?). Both grew up in sunny Aitutaki, but their family ties stretch across Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Atiu, Mauke, and Pukapuka. Basically, they’ve got more island connections than Air Raro flight routes.

These days, they’re based in Aotearoa New Zealand, where they juggle real life with their side hustle of teaching language, culture, and the occasional life lesson nobody asked for. Don’t worry, they still fly back home regularly (mostly for island food, family, and a break from NZ winters).

Their goal? Share the language and culture worldwide in a way that’s fun, easy, and sometimes slightly unhinged. So if you’ve ever wanted to learn Cook Islands Māori without sitting in a boring classroom, you’re in the right place.

Got a topic? Flick an email to info@kukilearning.com

Bonus points if it’s weirder than the last request.

Web: https://kukilearning.com/

Social: https://linktr.ee/kukilearning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Language lessons:

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