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Saturday, January 4, 2014 cook Islands News
New Year’s honours announced
FoUR cook islanders have been
announced as recipients of New Year’s Queen’s Honours. The Medal of the British empire (MBe) is to be awarded to composer Jon Tikivanotau Michael Jonassen, for services to the cook islands culture and the public service. a professor of Political Science, Dr Jonassen is a former secretary of Foreign Affairs, secretary of cultural Development, and High commissioner to NZ, Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea for the cook islands. He was also a member of the Betela Dance Troupe. Jonassen has composed more than 500 songs, including the famous cook islands love song ‘Mou Piri’, and ‘e Tai Roimata’. He also penned several articles and books on cook islands culture.
Mou Piri, composed by Jonassen in the 1970s, was the focus of a Film Raro documentary by the same name directed by NZbased Karin Williams last year. it screened in ilm festivals in Hawaii and Melbourne, Australia, and was picked up by Air New Zealand for its in-light entertainment programme. William John Hosking has been named the recipient of the order of the British empire (oBe) award, for public service and services to the community. Hosking, now retired, was secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture for 12 years before taking up a position as the chief extension oficer at the totokoitu Research Station. Two cook islanders were also named as recipients of a British empire Medal (BeM) – Manila Matenga for public service and
a screen shot from Karin williams’ 13-minute documentary deconstructing Jon Jonassen’s Mou Piri. 13061104
services to the community, and Vaine Noopuapii (Mrs Teao) for services to the community. New Zealand’s New Year’s Honours list included cook islander Kiki Maoate, who was named an officer of the New Zealand order of Merit for his work in Paciic Health. Maoate is the chair of the Pasiika Medical association and has been an executive Board mem-
ber for 10 years. A board member of Pacific Trust canterbury – acting as chairperson for 10 years – and the New Zealand Health Research council for seven years, Maoate has led the development of Paciic Health Research guidelines and Paciic health research strategy. He was a board member of the Regional Paciic Health Research council for six
years, developing the Paciic research network. He is an executive member of the cook islands Health Network and has been a trustee of the McMillan Brown Research centre at canterbury University and a council member of the university from 2009 to 2013. He has been a member of taskforces and advisory committees for the Ministry of Health
and Ministry of Pacific island Affairs over the past 15 years, including the Paciic Health Reference Group and the cancer control committee. He is currently a board member of the Pacific Prostate Foundation. Maoate is director of the Paciic Island Project, a collaboration of Aus aid and the College of Surgeons to deliver specialised services to the Paciic Region. - BD
Jon Jonassen, who composed Mou Piri in the 1970s, explains the song’s multiple levels of meaning on-camera in the Film raro documentary by the same name.
PHoto KarIn wILLIaMS and MuLtIneSIa ProduCtIonS 13061106
Early Christmas for Pa Enua ishers CHRIStMaS came early for the
Manihiki and Rakahanga artisanal fishers as they were provided with six new blast freezers during a recent workshop. The six-day workshop was run by the Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) senior isheries oficer, Sonny tatuava. assisting was the senior officer from Manihiki, Tangi Napara, who provided inputs from the fishery course he recently completed in Vanuatu. the aim was for ishers to illet and clean their ish, pack, wrap and store it in the minus 35 degree blast freezers for 24 hours and then transfer it to their freezers at home. The rapidly frozen ish has signiicantly better quality product and has an extended shelf life. The event was held in both
villages in Manihiki, Tukao and Tauhunu, with over 40 participants attending regularly. The same workshop was held in Rakahanga where a large number of the community attended. The workshop was a follow up to one held by Tatuava in May last year. “The community was very keen throughout the workshop sessions to gain more knowledge and look forward to continuing this practise to assist them with their artisanal catches, said Tatuava. “it’s a fantastic feeling to see the community getting involved for the betterment of their own livelihood.” Past attempts to set up blast freezers in the outer island failed, as the units were too large and expensive to operate. The modern blast freezers provided hold
approximately 1.5 tonnes and are able to operate at low cost. It is hoped that the frozen illets can be transported to Rarotonga by the foreign longliners ishing around these islands. Fish processing and transportation are seen as two of the main bottlenecks to developing small scale fishing enterprises in the outer islands. This venture will also provide ishers with an alternative means of livelihood during the period that they are waiting to harvest pearls. Tangi Napara said: “The community support is there, this is quick revenue compared to the time frames for pearls. People understand the importance of ish quality and if you process your product properly, other people will purchase it.”
Manihiki’s new blast freezers being installed at the community centre. 13123023 Tatuava reports that there has been constant use by the ishers of the blast freezers, which are housed at the island council’s community centres. in addition,
there has been positive feedback of taste tests of individual trial shipments sent to Rarotonga. Small scale commercial trials are planned for 2014.
The freezers were funded by government through crown payments (PoBoc) deducted from MMR’s foreign fishing licence fees. - MMR release
ON THE STREET
- Staf Reporters
Do you know what te Mato Vai is and what do you think of spending $64 million upgrading rarotonga’s water system?
Danny Tangata
Emile Okotai
No. improving the water No idea. There’s nothing system sounds like a you can do to make it good idea. rain more but it would be nice if everyone had their own drinking water at home.
Jocelyn Ballantyne Terepai Samuel
Alanna Smith
Martin Mitchell
Jimmy Ford
Michelle Chaloner
Yes, it’s the water project. i’m not really sure what it involves though. is it worth $64 million? That seems an awful lot of money.
No i don’t know what that is. We’re a tourist destination so we need to be providing the things tourists need, like good drinking water.
i know it’s all about water. it’s a good idea but i think we should build a dam irst before spending money going through people’s land.
No. i feel uncomfortable about borrowing money from the chinese. i think they have to be selling something to give us that money. You don’t get something for nothing.
No. is this the thing with the chinese coming here? i’m not happy with it because of the quality of work they’ve done with other projects in the past, like the courthouse and police station. if they don’t do a good job, we’ll be left having to go back and ix it.
it’s the water project. it’s a good idea but expensive at the same time. Hopefully this will make a big difference to the water supply.