A gateway to the past: New digitising kit to preserve Cook Islands’ recent voyaging history

Photo: MELINA ETCHES/23101810. Retrieved from cookislandsnews.com

The digitising kits are designed to digitise old tapes, film, photos and audio recordings so that generations can relive recorded cultural and historical moments.

Tetini Pekepo, speaking on behalf of the Cook Islands Voyaging Society (CIVS) at the presentation on Tuesday, expressed a sense of sadness that there are many cherished memories and visions of past voyages that the younger generation has not seen.

Pekepo said they felt honoured in accepting the digitising kit from Ngā Taonga, as they now have the resources to digitise old videos and recordings to preserve the experiences of the Cook Islands’ recent voyaging history.

On behalf of the Society, Vaka Marumaru Atua captain Deon Wong and the entire team, Pekepo conveyed heartfelt thanks, acknowledging that this support will help maintain and preserve their treasured memories.

“It has been a great honour for our voyaging team to try to walk in the footsteps of our tupuna, sailing out to new lands, and sharing stories around an open fire, a tradition that continues to this day,” said Pekepo.

He said that there are many people who are passionate about keeping this dream alive, “trying to discover who we are, where we come from, and where we are going in this modern world”.