About Us

Kia tiratiratu toku turanga Kuki Airani, na roto i tōku reo, tāku peu e tāku akano’anga.

Our Story

It has been a dream of many Cook Islanders to establish a total immersion Punanga Reo Kuki Airani (ECE) supported by the Cook Islands Development Agency New Zealand (CIDANZ). CIDANZ was first established as the Cook Islands Ta’okatai’anga Charitable Trust (Auckland Region) in 2001, before formerly renaming itself to the Cook Islands Development Agency NZ in 2019. CIDANZ is a charitable trust that is dedicated to the promotion of Cook Islands reo, culture, tradition, and heritage amongst other objectives. CIDANZ is the governing body of Ta’i Tamaiti Turanga Rangatira Early Learning Centre. 


That dream is now realised! Groups of educators from the early childhood sector, tertiary education, and CIDANZ staff, met and discussed how to proceed to meet the needs of the Cook Islands ‘tamariki rikiriki’ (little children) through the establishment of a total immersion early childhood centre. Through the guidance and assistance of the Ministry of Education NZ (MOE), the centre build was completed in 2021 and now stands on Kirkbride Reserve, Mangere.


We recognise that most of our New Zealand born children will not be proficient in Te Reo Māori Kuki Airani which is why the centre accepts that most of those enrolled will be English speaking. The objective of this Punanga Reo is to provide quality education for our tamariki. The acquisition, retention, and enhancement of the reo, culture, tradition, and indigenous knowledge of the Cook Islands is of utmost importance in the delivery of the Early Childhood Curriculum (Te Whariki, MoE, 1996, 2016).


The hope is that the centre will be totally immersed in the Reo Māori Kuki Airani by 2030. The Cook Islands is one of the realm nations whose language is on the verge of extinction (MacCaffery & McFall-McCaffery, 2010). Glasgow (2010) a Cook Islands academic explicates that “conversation ought to happen around the conversation of indigenous knowledge and language; indigenous people must take onus to cultivate strategies and proposals to curb the “tide of Western domination and enhance traditional practices, knowledge and values”. And “early-childhood education can lead the way with pedagogical practices that embrace the Cook Islands traditional beliefs, practices and epistemology” (2010, p 132). A Cook Islands pedagogical methodology ‘arataki tua’ (storytelling) will be utilised to deliver the curriculum.


We believe this to be a worthwhile and crucial endeavour for the benefit of the Cook Islands people and our ‘tamariki rikiriki’.


Kia Manuia,


Cook Islands Development Agency NZ

2016: Planning Session with Te Tuareka Trust, Ministry of Education, Strachan Group Architects, Auckland Teaching Gardens, and  Auckland Council.


FEB 2020: Blessing and breaking ground with previous CIDANZ Chairman Henry Herman, CIDANZ Chief Executive Ina Michael & Children. 


MAR 2020: Laying the foundations.

MAR 2020: Frame and body work.

MAY 2022: Ta’i Tamaiti Official Opening by Minister Aupito Williams, Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board, all Cook Islands community partners and representatives.

Mission & Vision

Anoano'anga | Mission


Kia tiratiratu toku turanga Kuki Airani, na roto i tōku reo, tāku peu e tāku akano’anga.

That I am confident and competent in my Cook Islands identity, and heritage through my reo, culture and traditions.

Orama | Vision


Kā kite meitaki te tamaiti i tōna reo, tana peu e te ākono’anga Maori Kuki Airani. Kia ngākau parau katoa ‘aia i tōna turanga tiratiratū, mei tōna tupu’anga mai. Kia riro oki aia ei tupa’upau no te tuātau ki mua.

The child competently knows his/her language, culture, and Cook Islands ways of being, that the child is proud of his/her heritage and identity during his/her formative years, progressing into a bright productive future.

School Philosophy

Kia Orana, turou, aere mai ki te api’i potiki, Ta’i Tamaiti Turanga Rangatira.

Te aru nei matou I te vaerua Kerititiano, koi ate inangaro (aroa) te kauraro, ma te takinga meitaki tika. Te irinaki nei matou I te vā e te mana o tetai u’atu, e kia akangateitei ia te reira. Te irinaki katoa nei matou e, e metua ora to matou ngutuare, turuturu ia e te au kite e te pakari, tei rangatiraia e te au puapii, au metua/pa metua, mouria’ia ete putu’putuanga Tai Tamaiti Turanga Rangatira. Te turu nei matou I te ngakau okotai, vaerua, manako, kopapa e te tupuanga matutu o te tamaiti api’i.

Te ariki nei matou ma te papu tikai, e ka rave, e ka ututu matou I ta ratou akono’anga tau tei matauia. Ka popaniia ki roto I te akapapa’anga apii (Te Whāriki). Te turu maata nei matou ma te akapapu e ka ripiri tikai te reira ki te papa ngakau o te tamaiti. Ko teia pririanga o te tamaiti ki tona reo, akono’anga, e te peu, kia tupu te reira ma te ruperupe, i roto i tona ora’anga apii no te uki ki mua.

“E patu’ia te are i te pakari e, e akatinamou’ia i te kite. E kī oki te au pi’a ra i te kite ki te au apinga memeitaki katoa” - Maseli, pene xxiv: iii-iv.

Kia Orana, turou, aere mai ki te apii potiki, Ta'i Tamaiti Turanga Rangatira.

This learning centre abides by the Christian principles of love, respect, and care. We believe in respecting each other’s space (va) and mana. We believe that emotional, cognitive, spiritual, and physical development are important in developing the full potential of each child safely. We similarly believe that the learning environment is a living community, built on meaningful relationships, fun, transparency, and accountability with all those involved. The involvement of stakeholders, teachers, parents, our anau and more importantly children are crucial to our success in our tamariki’s learning.

We value with pride our Cook Islands language, culture, and belief systems, which are crucial to the education of our tamariki. Acknowledgment of children’s prior knowledge from home is important and empowering in the retention and enhancement of Cook Islands heritage. We at Ta'i Tamaiti Turanga Rangatira, true to our heritage will implement a Cook Islands methodology ‘arataki tua’ (storytelling) in all its form (chants, songs, stories, drama) to implement the curriculum (Te Whāriki) which underpins our practice for a successful, secure, and productive future for our tamariki.

"By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding, it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches” - Proverbs xxiv:iii-iv.

Our Aoteroa Connection to the Cook Islands

The Story of Kupe &
the Long White Cloud

Retold by Tauraki Rongo

A long, long time ago on the island of Rarotonga lived a man named Kupe. He was regarded as the most knowledgeable person around.


If people wanted to know what to plant or where to plant, they would ask Kupe. If they wanted to know the best tree for canoe making, they would ask Kupe. If there was something the people did not know about, regardless of what it was, they would ask Kupe.


Kupe was not only knowledgeable, but also a great warrior!


When fishermen went out to sea, he would point out to them where the fish would be, and the type of fish that would be swimming there.


Among the people of Avaiki there lived a man called Muturangi, who envied the respect and status Kupe held in the community.


Muturangi had a pet octopus named Feke who did a lot of things for him. From time-to-time Muturangi would witness how well the fishermen did when they followed Kupe’s instructions, bringing home bountiful catches. He did not like that, so one evening he set out to sabotage Kupe’s reputation. After the men laid out their nets, Muturangi commanded his pet octopus Feke to scare the fish away.


In the morning when the fishermen returned there were no fish and large holes in their nets. The whole community was stunned because they trusted Kupe’s knowledge, but that knowledge did not bring home any fish. As the men started to question Kupe’s wisdom, one of the men noticed slime trails on his net. Immediately the men suspected Muturangi!


Muturangi was no match to Kupe’s strength, so there was never going to be a battle between the two men. To save himself Muturangi blamed Feke. Feke the Octopus immediately swam away into deeper waters, but Kupe wasted no time pursuing the octopus. He jumped into his canoe with his wife Kuramarotini and went after Feke!


Days passed in the chase. Kupe did not want to give up on catching Feke, especially with his reputation on the line. Feke also would not give in and continued to swim ahead of Kupe.


One morning Kuramanotini was scanning ahead and yelled out to Kupe “E Kupe!”


“E Ao, E Ao Tea, E Ao tea roa.” “There’s a cloud, it’s a white cloud, it’s a long white cloud.”


As Kupe looked to where his wife was pointing, he saw that Feke was headed towards a land that sat beneath a long white cloud. Yes, Kupe’s wife was the first Polynesian to see the land of the long white cloud.


Eventually, the two caught up and took down Feke. As they sailed further, they realised that this new land was far bigger than the one they’d left behind. With his infinite wisdom, using the stars he navigated back home, to later bring his people over from Rarotonga (Avaiki) to Aotearoa, to make a new home in Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud.

Want to know more about cIDANZ or Our Story?

Visit our office at 287 Kirkbride Road, Mangere, Auckland or follow the link below.

CIDANZ WEBSITE