Cook Islands Language Week 2024

My husband and I gifting the Tivaevae on behalf of mum who was unable to travel

Kia Orana tātou kātoatoa, kō Anna Tiaki tōku ingoa, my father is the late John Karatī Glassie from Areora, Ātiu and my mum is Pākura Karatī (nee Maoate) from Ngatangiia, Rarotonga. I was born and raised in Newtown/Island Bay, Wellington. I am now living in the Hutt Valley with my husband and two children.

My current role is Coordinator Culture and Capability which sits in the HR space at Te Tāri Taiwhenua. Most of my time at Te Tāri has been at the National library, in my previous roles I led & organised many Pacific Island language weeks events, organised cultural performances mainly from local schools.

Anna with members of the Cook Islands community sharing Cook Islands collections from Alexander Turnbull Library

My Cook Islands culture was always strong in our household. Although my siblings and I didn’t speak the language we could understand it. Our koputangata attended the Pacific Islands Presbyterian Church (PIC) church in Newtown in my earlier days and our family connected with so many other Cook Islands people, most were relatives. At College I joined our Cooks Islands group, this was so much fun but also a real understanding of my culture.

Pacific Island Congregational Church, bible class of 1959- Church that Anna and her family attended. Source: Alexander Turnbull Library.

Church was a big part of my upbringing and soon it would be for my children, we attended the Cook Islands Presbyterian church in Newlands, here we instilled the spiritual part of our culture, today I still love to hear our Reo īmene.

Growing up I’d seen how Tivaevae was made and one day thought I’d love to learn how to make it. Over the last 2-3 years I have been learning with my mum. She learnt from her mum and my daughter has picked up the skills too. Mum was more of a sewer on the sewing machine and sewed many church dresses for me and my sisters.

I enjoyed spending time with mum when it came to sewing Tivaevae, although mum started one this a while ago, she wanted to make sure this was completed for her grandson’s wedding (which was in July 2023). One of the funniest memories is the time I was sewing with my mum, I must have been so busy talking I had sewed the Tivaevae to the couch! we both couldn’t stop laughing for ages. Tivaevae is a communal activity, not only did my daughter sew part of it, it was also two of my nieces.

Two women sewing a tivaevae on their verandah. Photograph taken on Rarotonga, Cook Islands, in 1960 by John C Burland. - Source Alexander Turnbull Library

Learning how to sew Tivaevae both the Cook Islands way and the pāpā’a way (sewing on a machine) has been an awesome experience because I see the differences with timing, the Cook Islands way is way longer but you work with other mama’s. Sewing on the sewing machine is an individual task but it’s much quicker. I think I’d prefer the Cook Islands way, I love listening to my mum and the other mama’s stories.

Tivaevae stitching

Completed Tivaevae at my nephew’s wedding (July 2023) – Mr & Mrs Malachi and Susie Tuaoi

Sewing Tivaevae with mum has been an amazing and rewarding experience, spending valuable time with her because she is getting a little older. My dream is to pass on my both my Tivaevae to my children as a labour of love from me and my mum.