Bonus 154.5 - Should the Cook Islands change their flag?

Bonus 154.5 - Should the Cook Islands change their flag?

From Learn Cook Islands Māori by Tom Harrison and Junior Charlie

February 5, 2026 · 9 min · Season 154

About this episode

The episode explores the emotional responses to the question of changing the Cook Islands flag and what it reveals about identity and leadership.

I asked a simple question and didn’t expect the response it got. What followed was a flood of raw, unfiltered opinions that quickly turned into something much bigger than a flag. I unpack what people actually said, why emotions ran high, and what this says about identity, priorities, and trust in leadership in the Cook Islands. No spin. No sugar coating. Just the voices that showed up. Meet the boys from Kuki Learning, Charlie Charlie and Tom Harrison. Their mission? Keeping the Cook Islands Māori language and culture alive (because if they don’t, who will…Google Translate?). Both grew up in sunny Aitutaki, but their family ties stretch across Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Atiu, Mauke, and Pukapuka. Basically, they’ve got more island connections than Air Raro flight routes. These days, they’re based in Aotearoa New Zealand, where they juggle real life with their side hustle of teaching language, culture, and the occasional life lesson nobody asked for. Don’t worry, they still fly back home regularly (mostly for island food, family, and a break from NZ winters). Their goal? Share the language and culture worldwide in a way that’s fun, easy, and sometimes slightly unhinged. So if you’ve…

People in this episode

Hosts: Tom Harrison, Junior Charlie

Topics covered

  • Cook Islands identity
  • flag debate
  • cultural opinions
  • leadership trust
  • language preservation

Keywords

  • Cook Islands
  • flag change
  • identity
  • leadership
  • cultural opinions
  • language
  • Kuki Learning

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Kuki Learning

Places: Cook Islands, Aitutaki, Rarotonga, Atiu, Mauke, Pukapuka, Aotearoa New Zealand

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