Te ‘Ānau ā Vari Pa'i Taro with Māori subtitles

Te ‘Ānau ā Vari
The series name refers to the children (‘ānau) growing up in the Cook Islands playing in the mud (vari), with hands-on learning taking place by going outdoors and getting dirty in the process.
The series is made in Cook Islands Māori with no English subtitles for the purpose of reviving the language and culture. The featuring of kids will draw in a young audience, and the humour and traditional activities will draw in the older generation who can relate to these activities. The goal is to bring parents/grandparents and children together to learn the language while highlighting the culture - with the children enquiring where they don’t understand - without reliance on English subtitles. In addition, we hope the older generation will share their personal experiences with the younger generation, fostering the transfer of knowledge between generations.
The belief stems from focusing within country to help the indigenous people of the Cook Islands value who they are, their culture, their language, their resources, and their environment, all of which are eroding today.
For: Kōrero o te ‘Ōrau (www.korerooteorau.org)
This education series is our contribution to help Cook Islands Marine Park - Marae Moana achieve its goals through a holistic approach to education and awareness. The intention is to focus on helping Cook Islanders value their environment and resources through traditional practices and their language in order promote meaningful effort to protecting our ocean.
Made by: Rongokura Productions
Scriptwriter: Dr Teina Rongo (Chairman of Kōrero o te ‘Ōrau)
Videographer & editor: Konini Rongo of Rongokura Productions (20-year-old aspiring filmmaker; daughter of Teina Rongo)
Filmed with a small handheld DJI camera (we are working on getting Konini better equipment and a mentor to help with the technical side of video production such as sound editing, etc.).
Episode: Pa’i Taro
The script is based on Teina’s upbringing on Rarotonga with his younger brother Raita, where they worked on the taro patch in the village of Ruatonga (featured in this film). The activities depict the process of preparing a taro patch and also the sibling rivalry and games during rest periods, and how they dread their father coming to the taro patch to check on them as it means more work for them. The children featured are Teina’s youngest daughters Raetea and Tera-itirere-ki-Avaiki and grandnephew Dezmond, who all are learning how to plant taro to provide for the family.
The summary at the end of the episode highlights the importance of wetlands and the ecosystem service they provide in filtering water from the mountains before flowing to the ocean. The ridge to reef connection is featured as well as the importance of using this habitat for the purpose of food security; by planting, this is a way to protect the wetlands and teach people to value it by staying connected.
Supported by:
Nia Tero
Ridge to Reef Project Cook Islands