Cook Islanders

{{Short description|Polynesian ethnic group from the Cook Islands}}

{{distinguish|Cook Islands|Cook Islands Māori}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox ethnic group

| group = Cook Islanders

| total = 100,000-120,000

| total_ref =

| region1 = {{flag|New Zealand}}

| pop1 = 80,532 (2018)

| ref1 = {{cite web | url=https://www.stats.govt.nz/tools/2018-census-ethnic-group-summaries/cook-islands-maori | title=2018 Census ethnic group summaries {{pipe}} Stats NZ }}

| region2 = {{flag|Australia}}

| pop2 = 22,000 (2016)

| ref2 = [https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/cook-islands/cook-islands-country-brief Cook Islands Country Brief]

| region3 = {{flag|Cook Islands}}

| pop3 = 17,459 (2016)

| ref3 = {{cite web|url=http://www.mfem.gov.ck/images/documents/Statistics_Docs/5.Census-Surveys/6.Population-and-Dwelling_2016/2016_CENSUS_REPORT-FINAL.pdf|title=2016 Cook Islands census|website=mfem.gov.ck|date=2016|access-date=13 August 2020|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031062651/http://www.mfem.gov.ck/images/documents/Statistics_Docs/5.Census-Surveys/6.Population-and-Dwelling_2016/2016_CENSUS_REPORT-FINAL.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{rp|page=18}}

| langs = {{hlist|English (86.4%)|Cook Islands Māori (76.2%)|Penrhyn|Rakahanga-Manihiki|Pukapukan}}

| religions =

| related-c = {{hlist|Polynesians|Māori|Tahitians}}

}}

File:Cook Islands on the globe (Polynesia centered).svg

Cook Islanders are residents of the Cook Islands, which is composed of 15 islands and atolls in Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. Cook Islands Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of the Cook Islands, although the Cook Islands is currently home to approximately 15–17% of the Cook Islands Maori population, with New Zealand and Australia each having larger populations.{{cite web | url=https://www.stats.govt.nz/tools/2018-census-ethnic-group-summaries/cook-islands-maori | title=2018 Census ethnic group summaries {{pipe}} Stats NZ }}[https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/cook-islands/cook-islands-country-brief Cook Islands Country Brief]{{cite web|url=http://www.mfem.gov.ck/images/documents/Statistics_Docs/5.Census-Surveys/6.Population-and-Dwelling_2016/2016_CENSUS_REPORT-FINAL.pdf|title=2016 Cook Islands census|website=mfem.gov.ck|date=2016|access-date=13 August 2020|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031062651/http://www.mfem.gov.ck/images/documents/Statistics_Docs/5.Census-Surveys/6.Population-and-Dwelling_2016/2016_CENSUS_REPORT-FINAL.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|title=2013 Census ethnic group profiles|url=http://archive.stats.govt.nz/Census/2013-census/profile-and-summary-reports/ethnic-profiles.aspx|access-date=2020-08-03|website=archive.stats.govt.nz|language=en-nz|archive-date=28 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328200001/http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2013-census/profile-and-summary-reports/ethnic-profiles.aspx?request_value=24771&parent_id=24761&tabname=|url-status=dead}} Originating from Tahitian settlers in the sixth century, the Cook Islands Māori bear cultural affinities with New Zealand Māori and Tahitian Mā'ohi, although they also exhibit a unique culture and developed their own language, which is currently recognized as one of two official languages in the Cook Islands, according to the Te Reo Maori Act of 2003.{{Cite web|title=Te Reo Maori Act 2003|url=http://www.paclii.org/ck/legis/num_act/trma2003130/|access-date=2020-08-03|website=www.paclii.org}}

Citizenship and nationality

{{See also|Cook Islands permanent residency}}

From a legal standpoint, there is no such thing as a Cook Islands citizenship. The Cook Islands is a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand and is part of the Realm of New Zealand. As such, Cook Islanders are New Zealand citizens.Cook Islands Constitution Act 1964, s 6.{{cite web |url=https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-and-regions/australia-and-pacific/cook-islands/new-zealand-high-commission-to-the-cook-islands/about-cook-islands/ |title=About Cook Islands |publisher=MFAT |access-date=5 November 2022}}

The Cook Islands does not issue its own passports, a privilege usually assumed by virtually all sovereign countries, but places this responsibility in the hands of the New Zealand Government which issues passports for New Zealand citizens who are also Cook Islands nationals.

On the other hand, Cook Islands nationality is differentiated from that of the rest of the New Zealand citizens.

{{Quotation|text=A person shall have the status of a permanent resident of the Cook Islands if he was born in the Cook Islands, and -...

  1. Either or both of his parents had the status of a permanent resident of the Cook Islands at the date of his birth; or
  2. In the case of a child who was born after the death of his father to a mother who did not have the status at the date of birth of the child, his father had that status at the date of his death; or
  3. He was adopted by a person who at the date of adoption had that status

|title=Cook Islands Constitution|source=Constitution Amendment (No 9) Act 1980-81, Article 76A(1)}}

These provisions setting out qualifications for the status of a permanent resident of the Cook Islands are supplemented by other legislation to regulate the granting of permanent resident status to others, qualifications to be held by a permanent resident, and conditions under which that status may be withdrawn.Article 76A(2)-(4)

In mid October 2024, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown advocated the introduction of a separate Cook Islands passport while still retaining New Zealand citizenship.{{cite news |title=Mark Brown proposes Cook Islands passport |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/530993/mark-brown-proposes-cook-islands-passport |access-date=25 December 2024 |work=RNZ |date=16 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225100533/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/530993/mark-brown-proposes-cook-islands-passport |archive-date=25 December 2024}} In response, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters warned that Brown's proposal would affect the Cook Island's free association relationship with New Zealand.{{cite news |last1=Mika |first1=Talaia |title=Cooks PM assures new passport won’t affect constitutional ties with New Zealand |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/531290/cooks-pm-assures-new-passport-won-t-affect-constitutional-ties-with-new-zealand |access-date=25 December 2024 |work=RNZ |date=19 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225100652/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/531290/cooks-pm-assures-new-passport-won-t-affect-constitutional-ties-with-new-zealand |archive-date=25 December 2024|url-status=live}} In late December 2024, Peters clarified that the Cook Islands would not be able to have its own passport, citizenship and United Nations membership without becoming an independent country. Any changes to the territory's constitutional relationship with New Zealand would have to be decided by the Cook Islanders via a referendum.{{cite news |last1=Fotheringham |first1=Caleb |title=Cook Islands passport would require giving up NZ citizenship - spokesperson |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/537456/cook-islands-passport-would-require-giving-up-nz-citizenship-spokesperson |access-date=25 December 2024 |work=RNZ |date=23 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225101232/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/537456/cook-islands-passport-would-require-giving-up-nz-citizenship-spokesperson |archive-date=25 December 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Ng |first1=Kelly |title=Cook Islands wants its own passport. New Zealand says no |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c623ng6wnweo |access-date=25 December 2024 |work=BBC News |date=23 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225095621/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c623ng6wnweo |archive-date=25 December 2024}}

Ethnic groups

According to the most recent 2016 census, 78.2% of Cook Islanders are of Cook Island Māori descent, 7.62% are Part-Māori from the native Polynesian people of the islands and 14.18% other ethnic origins.{{rp|page=18}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/cook-islands/|title=Cook Islands: People|website=World Fact book|access-date=13 August 2020}} Cook Islands Māori share many ancestral links with the Māori of New Zealand and the native people (Mā'ohi) of French Polynesia. Other Cook Islanders are also of Pacific Islander (primarily Polynesian), European (Papa'a), or Asian descent.

Results for the usual resident population.

class=wikitable

! Ethnic group{{rp|page=18}} !! Population (2006)!! Population (2016)!! Percent !! Change

Cook Islands Māori14,93811,57578.2{{decrease}}
Part Cook Islands Māori1,0451,1287.62{{increase}}
Other1,3492,09914.18{{increase}}
Cook Islands, Total ||17,332 || 14,802 || 100 || {{decrease}}

Language

The official languages of the Cook Islands are English and Cook Islands Māori, an Eastern Polynesian language. Cook Islands Māori is closely related to New Zealand Māori, but is a distinct language in its own right. It is simply called "Māori" when there is no need to disambiguate it from New Zealand Māori, but it is also known as "Māori Kūki 'Āirani" or "Maori Kuki Airani".

Culture

{{expand section|date=August 2020}}

{{main|Culture of the Cook Islands}}

=Religious denomination=

The religious distribution in the 2016 official census was as follows:

The various Protestant groups account for 62.8% of the believers, the most followed denomination being the Cook Islands Christian Church with 49.1% (down from 53% in 2006). Other Protestant Christian groups include Seventh-Day Adventist (8.4%), Assemblies of God (3.8%), and Apostolic Church (2.1%). The main non-Protestant group was the Catholic Church, with 17% of the population. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made up 4.4%. Only 2% or 323 people refused or did not respond to this question.{{rp|page=20}}

File:CICC CHURCH IN AVARUA, RAROTONGA, COOK ISLANDS.jpg, Rarotonga.]]

File:TITIKAVEKA CHURCH, RAROTONGA, COOK ISLANDS.jpg

class=wikitable style="text-align:left;"
Religious affiliationPopulationPercent
Christian12,86686.92
{{spaces|3}}Cook Islands Christian Church7,22548.81
{{spaces|3}}Roman Catholic2,57417.39
{{spaces|3}}Seventh-day Adventist1,2498.44
{{spaces|3}}Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints6094.11
{{spaces|3}}Assemblies of God5693.84
{{spaces|3}}Jehovah's Witness3572.41
{{spaces|3}}Apostolic2831.91
Irreligion/Not Stated1,0977.41
Other8395.67
Total || 14,802 || 100

See also

References

{{reflist}}