Bonus 158.5 - I'm overthinking this intro!
From Learn Cook Islands Māori by Tom Harrison and Junior Charlie
April 3, 2026 · 3 min · Season 15
About this episode
Tom Harrison and Junior Charlie discuss their mission to keep the Cook Islands Māori language and culture alive while sharing their experiences and insights.
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 ever wanted to learn Cook Islands Māori without sitting in a boring classroom, you’re in the right place. Got a topic? Flick an email to info@kukilearning.com Bonus points if it’s weirder than the last request. Web: https://kukilearning.com/ Social: https://linktr.ee/kukilearning Language lessons: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kukilearning/subscribe
People in this episode
Hosts: Tom Harrison, Junior Charlie
Topics covered
- Cook Islands Māori
- language learning
- cultural preservation
- Aitutaki
- Aotearoa New Zealand
- fun education
Keywords
- Cook Islands Māori
- language
- culture
- Aitutaki
- Aotearoa
- Kuki Learning
- education
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Kuki Learning
Places: Aitutaki, Rarotonga, Atiu, Mauke, Pukapuka, Aotearoa New Zealand
More episodes of Learn Cook Islands Māori
- Lesson 160 - Pe'e (Chant) "Turou Oro Mai" · April 7, 2026 · 3 min
- Lesson 159 - Would you like to eat some (food)? · April 3, 2026 · 9 min
- Lesson 158 - Would you like to drink? · February 25, 2026 · 5 min
- Lesson 157 - Would you like to eat? · February 18, 2026 · 4 min
- Lesson 156 - Would you like to go/walk? · February 10, 2026 · 7 min
- Lesson 155 - I live/stay in (place). · February 5, 2026 · 7 min
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