Pacific’s Cook Islanders mull over a new name

AVARUA, Cook Islands — The tiny Pacific nation of Cook Islands is considering changing its name to something that reflects its Polynesian culture, rather than honoring the British explorer James Cook.

The government set up a committee in January to find a new indigenous name for the grouping of 15 islands, about 3,000 kilometers northeast of New Zealand.

Initially, the idea was to have the indigenous moniker feature alongside the existing Cook Islands name, in the same way that its larger neighbor is sometimes known as Aotearoa-New Zealand.

But committee chairman Danny Mataroa said on Monday that once discussions began, it became apparent there was support for dropping the Cook Islands name altogether in favor of one in the local language, known as Cook Islands Maori.

“When the committee members, which include Cook Islands historians and people with deep traditional knowledge, met we decided it was time we change the name of the country,” he said.

Mataroa said the new name should reflect the country’s heritage, its people and its strong Christian belief.

Deputy Prime Minister Mark Brown backed the move, but said there was still a long way to go before the nation of 12,000 people changed its name.

“I’m quite happy to look at a traditional name for our country which more reflects the true Polynesian nature of our island nation,” he told Radio New Zealand.

It is not the first time the issue has surfaced, with a 1994 referendum to change the name to Avaiki Nui resoundingly defeated.

The Cook Islands were a British protectorate from 1888 until 1900, when they came under New Zealand’s jurisdiction.

The Cooks gained independence in 1965 but maintains close ties to Wellington, which takes responsibility for the Cooks’ external affairs and allows its citizens to live and work in New Zealand.