Cook Islands and Samoa in Moana Oceana Series

 

Cook Islands: Kūki ‘Airani, Jean Tekura Mason, Oratia, 2023, 48 pages, paperback, NZ$29.99, ISBN 978-1-99-004221-8

Sāmoa, Dahlia Malaeulu, Oratia, 2023, 48 pages, paperback, NZ$29.99, ISBN 1-99-004222-5

 These two lively books launch a new Moana Oceania series from Oratia Books in Auckland. Both books are bi-lingual, with English on one page and the appropriate Pacific islands language (in these two books, Cook Islands Māori and Samoan) on the facing page. The subtitles for both books are ‘People, Culture, Language’ and the authors have selected from these aspects well. The reading and interest level of each book is aimed at 8 and up but the books carry a high level of appeal for adults as well as children. The illustrations are colourful without being touristy; many of them show ordinary people engaged in familiar activities or special ceremonies. These books look not only at daily life in the islands concerned but also shows how Cook Islanders and Samoans maintain their culture and traditions at home and in New Zealand. So, these two books will be of great value in the schools and homes of all three countries.  

Cook Islands: Kūki ‘Airani, Jean Tekura Mason, Oratia, 2023, 48 pages, paperback, NZ$29.99, ISBN 978-1-99-004221-8

‘The Cook Islands’ way of life is one that includes the fulfilment of duties to family and community, speaking the Maori language, and living according to the culture and customs of the country.’ I wrote my M.A. thesis on one small aspect of Cook Islands history and learned very quickly that there are 15 islands and most have their own customs and culture. That is why there are eight different dialects of Maori in the Cook Islands. Jean Tekura Mason has a deep knowledge of the Cook Islands and has compressed a great deal into this attractive introduction to her nation.

The book begins with the seven pillars of Cook Islands culture: Ngakau aro’a (kindness), Kopu tangata (family), Marū (peacefulness), Kauroro (respect to elders), Akakoromaki (patient fortitude), ‘Aka’aka (humility) and ‘Irinaki’anga and akarongo (religious belief). The sections that follow each show some of these in action, in village, church, school and sportsfield.

The text is bilingual with Cook Islands Maori (Rarotongan dialect) on one page and English on the other. (There are useful pages on language matters, including pronunciation guides and handy phrases.) Fact boxes provide interesting snippets of information and statistics. The layout is user-friendly with good headings. The history section is well presented although the pictures need captions. Makea Ariki is mentioned in the text but readers may not be aware that she also appears in three of the photos. Food and clothing are important cultural elements, whether in the home islands or in New Zealand, and these are well covered. Readers also learn about tatau (tattoo), tapa cloth, weaving and tivaivai (quilts). Dancing, music and sport are all described, with modern double-hull canoe voyaging linking us back to where we began with the original settlements of the various islands.

Cook Islands: Kūki ‘Airani will be an important book in encouraging interest in the Cook Islands and its lifeways among young people, whether they live in the islands or New Zealand. Or
anywhere else in the world.                                                                                                       

Trevor Agnew

 Sāmoa, Dahlia Malaeulu, Moana Oceania series, Oratia, 2023, 48 pages, paperback, NZ$29.99, ISBN 1-99-004222-5

Over 70 years ago, two Samoan women visited our classroom at Sawyers Bay School and talked to us about life in their home village. They told us of their fale (houses) with their open walls. Our jaws dropped. It was our first realisation of different ways of life in other countries.

In a way, this book carries on the work of those two gracious women. 

It introduces the Samoan culture, customs, traditions, language and food, both to young people in other countries and to young Samoans living overseas. The text is bilingual with English and Samoan pages facing each other. Lively fact boxes offer information on everything from the ecologically-important manumea (tooth-billed pigeon) to the types of siva (dance performances). There is even a box for Samoan values: Fa’aaloalo (respect), Alofa (love), Tautua (service) and Usita’i (discipline).

The book begins with the pillars of Fa’asāmoa – the Samoan way of life – emphasising the importance of the family, the village, the language, the church and food. There is a good summary of the sorry history of New Zealand’s 20th Century relations with Samoa, and a useful introduction to the geography and economy of the islands. A quick guide to the Samoan alphabet and language includes useful words and a pronunciation guide.

The best part of Samoa concerns the Samoan people and their activities, such as tatau (tattooing), singing, story-telling, mat weaving and sport of all kinds, including fautasi (longboat racing) and the joyous kilikiti. That’s an amazing amount to pack into 24 x 2 pages and Dahlia Malaeulu – a great storyteller - has succeeded brilliantly. The selection of colour illustrations is particularly good, again with an emphasis on people and their activities.

Best of all there are several pictures of fale. Did you know that they have no walls? The section on Samoan climate explains why not. 

Trevor Agnew