The shallow depth of Muri lagoon on the south-eastern coast of Rarotonga makes it an ideal beach for families and snorkelers alike. With its sweeping arch of white sand beaches backed by magnificent palms and ironwood trees, it is truly heaven on earth. As I marvel at my surroundings, I am pleasantly transformed into a pina colada sipping cliché. This is the kind of place that makes you want to throw in your day job and all sense of material reality.
Hot on the heels of the Government declaring the Cook Islands as a recession free oasis, I was here to investigate potential opportunities for Maori to invest in local businesses and form partnerships with our Cook Island Maori cousins. It’s an idea that’s quickly gaining momentum as more and more Maori look to form meaningful business relationships in the Pacific. For many, the motivation to do so begins at Nga Tangiia, which is less than a kilometre from Muri beach. It was here that the waka of Takitimu, Tokomaru, Kurahaupo, Aotea, Tainui, Te Arawa and Mataatua departed to make the 3302km voyage to Aotearoa hundreds of years ago.
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Key quotes from article:
“But I was here to look at the potential to promote a new way of doing business called Native to Native trade. It’s a model that’s been gaining momentum in the indigenous world and provides a framework for fair trade based on indigenous values such as respect and reciprocity. As a country that prides itself on promoting an economy that isn’t driven by government but by the private sector, I soon found the Cook Islands have developed a business, trade and investment model that provides an ideal climate to promote Native to Native trade. Three essential factors make it so.”
