Celebrating Kuki Airani Culture in Australia

Pherina and James talk about celebrating the culture of Kuki Airani, the Cook Islands. 

Pherina: I always believe, whatever you do, you gotta learn your culture. It's like my kids, when I teach them the culture, I teach them at a very young age and now as they grow older, every year they grow older, they learn a lot more and it just becomes them. The culture becomes them. And I see that’s happening now in Melbourne and it makes me proud that we have done something for the people to see, the parents to see, that they can, living away from the Cook Islands, from your home, that you can still continue to embrace our culture here. With our culture—I would say it is one of the best cultures. And our culture has got a long way to go.  

James: I mean, our generations will soon fade away so we trying to pass on that knowledge, experience, history to the younger generations so they will carry on. But if we were in the Cook Islands, that’s a different story, but we are in Australia. We just want to maintain our culture and then also encourage them, make them understand that our culture is very unique, special and important because it is your identity and also your heritage.