Cook Islands Heroes: Ina and Tinirau

Kia orana everyone! Next week is Kuki Airani Language Week and I’ve got a new book to help celebrate. Cook Islands Heroes is a collection of achievers who have Cook Islands ancestry – from legends, through history and into the present. The aim of this book is to inspire Kuki Airani young people and anyone else who loves reading stories of people who overcame great challenges to achieve their goals in life.

Today’s Cook Islands Heroes: Ina and Tinirau

Some of the greatest stories ever told have been love stories: Romeo and Juliet, Beauty and the Beast, Bella and Edward of Twilight. One of the most famous Pacific love stories is that of Ina and Tinirau. Ina is sometimes known as Hina, Hine and Sina. Tinirau is also called Kinilau, Sinilau and Tingilau. Tongans say that Sinilau lives in Samoa; Samoans say that he lives in Vava’u; and Cook Islanders say he lives on a beautiful floating island called Motutapu (Sacred Island). Read a Kuki Airani version of their love story in Cook Islands Heroes