Dear Editor, at the opening of the BTIB Trade Days Expo at the Punanga Nui yesterday (Wednesday 27 July), marking the beginning of what should be Te Maeva Nui and Constitution week, it was disappointing not to see a Cook Islands dance team entertaining the crowds.

Instead, it was a New Zealand Maori team doing it for us. Thank you to the New Zealand Maoris for coming all this way and helping us to celebrate what should be one of the most important weeks of our nation’s year, marking our attainment of self-government from New Zealand.

Instead, the tourists at the market, who are mostly from New Zealand, forgot for a minute where they were. Are we still in New Zealand, or are we in Rarotonga they asked themselves?

What’s the story BTIB? It’s the school holidays so how difficult would it have been to scare up a dance troupe of school students, or anything so long as it is from Cook Islands, to show that we’re actually proud of our culture and want to celebrate it.

Wake up Cook Islands. Wake up BTIB. The borders are open. Let’s party!

Akaāraāra ia mai

(Name and address supplied)

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E Purua No Marjorie Tuainekore Tere Crocombe

Koai! Koai ia Vaine akono meitaki

Kare e auia tona manea kite poerava nei

E Vaine Kamaatu? Ko Marjorie Tuaninekore Tere Crocombe

Kua rauvanangananga ia kite po tangotango

Kite po uriuri.

Kua rarangoia kite rau maire o te enua nei

Iroiro ia kite tiare maori

E muka kakara, kou ia ki te aroa nui ngangare I te munangaro o Io I te pumanava.

E aka metua ki Enuamanu (Atiu) e

Tumutevarovaro nga pukaitangitangi o Papa ma Alea

E ariki vaine kite Tua Tonga ki Tokerau

Kite maraurau o te apii

No te akau poto e te akau roa.

Teia koe te kite te pakari o Io Saloma

O te ata ao e te ata po

To mata kaipaipa mei te verovero o te ra te kaka.

E muumuu taringa e akarongo I te pokaikai tuatua e arara I te akirata

Aue, kua rere te Mauri ki Tuoro kite ati po

Oki atu ei ki Avaiki Tautau

E metua vaine akamoe I te au

Aere ra ki to akangaroianga mutukore

E to matou metua vaine

Kite metua Atua ka takoto ei

E moe ra, E moe ra.

Na Pastor Temu Ngarima George