House of Ariki

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Cook Islands

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The House of Ariki (Are Ariki)is a parliamentary body in the Cook Islands. It is composed of chiefs, members of the nobility (ariki), and has a purely advisory role. It was established in 1966 by Prime Minister Albert Henry, shortly after the country obtained self-government from New Zealand. Henry stated that the ariki were the Cook Islands' "royal heritage". The House of Ariki was intended to confer additional legitimacy and strength to the newly self-governing nation, and to help it define its national identity [1]. Henry stated:

"The ariki [and other chiefly ranks] and their tribes are the backbone of all nations in this world. For any nation to allow this backbone to be broken or to disappear would mean that they are relying on a foreign backbone for their survival."[2]

Members of the House of Ariki are appointed by the Queen's Representative. There are up to twenty four members[3], representing different islands of the Cooks[4].

The members are :

  • The four Arikis of the islands of Aitutaki and

Manuae;

  • The three Arikis of the island of Atiu;
  • The Ariki of the island of Mangaia;
  • The Ariki of the island of Manihiki;
  • The Ariki of the island of Rakahanga;
  • The three Arikis of the island of Mauke;
  • The three Arikis of the island of Mitiaro;
  • The Ariki of the island of Penrhyn;
  • The Ariki of the islands of Pukapuka and

Nassau;

The incumbent president of the House of Ariki is Rongomatane Ada Teaupurepure Tetupu Ariki (Atiu).

Its function is to "consider such matters relative to the welfare of the people of the Cook Islands as may be submitted to it by [Parliament] for its consideration, and it shall express its opinion and make recommendations thereon to [Parliament]" [5]. It may, therefore, only discuss matters put to it by the democratically elected Parliament, and may only voice suggestions in return. As such, the House of Ariki plays an essentially ceremonial role.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Premier Albert Henry stressed that the retention and recognition of the nation’s ‘royal heritage’ would associate the Cook Islands with the more fortunate nations of the world, that is, with nations such as Great-Britain [or] Tonga […] which had maintained a strong sovereign identity. [...] The choice before the people of the Cook Islands was, therefore, a clear one – either to follow the path of Great Britain, the ‘Mother Country,’ and retain an indigenous spine, or to follow that of the New Zealand Maori and allow ‘the backbone of Polynesian existence to disappear’. […] Ariki, like the British monarchy, lent historical depth to this nation while increasing its prestige (at least in its own eyes) within the Pacific region." SISSONS, Jeffrey, Nation and Destination: Creating Cook Islands Identity, Suva: University of the South Pacific (Institute of Pacific Studies), 1999, ISBN 982-02-0142-X, pp.61,62
  2. ^ Albert HENRY, quoted in SISSONS, Jeffrey, ibid
  3. ^ Since the 2002 constitutional amendment [1]
  4. ^ Constitution of the Cook Islands, section 8
  5. ^ Constitution of the Cook Islands, section 9


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