In the heart of the South Pacific lies Rarotonga—an island whose history is as vast and layered as the ocean that surrounds it. First settled around 500 AD by Polynesian navigators from the Society and Marquesas Islands, Rarotonga became a springboard for the great Polynesian expansion—reaching as far as Hawai‘i, Aotearoa, and beyond. These voyagers didn’t just settle islands—they shaped a civilization.
Centuries later, in 1595, Spanish explorer Álvaro de Mendaña would be the first European to sight parts of the Cook Islands, though Rarotonga itself remained untouched. It wasn’t until the voyages of Captain James Cook in 1773 and 1777 that the Southern Group was mapped and named in his honor. Yet Cook himself never set foot on Rarotonga.
In 1821, Christian missionaries from the London Missionary Society arrived, bringing with them not only scripture—but disease. Within decades, the Rarotongan Māori population plummeted from 7,000 to just 2,000. The missionaries denied responsibility, instead blaming indigenous spirituality for the deaths, coercing conversion with the threat of cultural extinction.
By 1858, the Kingdom of Rarotonga had formed—an independent monarchy uniting tribal districts. But independence was short-lived. In 1888, Queen Makea Takau sought British protection to avoid French colonization. Britain agreed. And in 1900, under Prime Minister Richard Seddon, New Zealand annexed the island. For 72 years, Rarotonga flew the New Zealand flag and bore the name ‘Cook Islands’.
In 1965, the tide turned. The Cook Islands became self-governing in free association with New Zealand. But the legacy of colonial entanglement remains.
Today, tensions simmer once more. The Cook Islands government has sought to forge independent ties with China—an act met with hostility by New Zealand’s Coalition government. Foreign Minister Winston Peters withdrew millions in aid, citing geopolitical concerns. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon snubbed the Cook Islands’ 60th anniversary of self-governance, while Te Pāti Māori MPs Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi were warmly welcomed and celebrated by locals.
At Edgewater Resort, a Kiwi tourist voiced fears of a Chinese ‘takeover.’ Locals laughed. ‘It’s not China we fear,’ they said. ‘It’s New Zealand’s paternalism that threatens our prosperity.
And prosperity is no exaggeration. The Cook Islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone is the size of Mexico. Beneath the waters off Aitutaki lie polymetallic nodules—rich in rare earth minerals essential to modern electronics. Some estimates place their value at over $250 billion—comparable to the U.S. Federal Reserve’s total assets.,
“Yet this wealth remains untapped. New Zealand lacks the infrastructure to process these minerals. Even U.S. companies would need China’s facilities. There is no bypassing Beijing.
The New Zealand Labour party anti-seabed mining stance clashes with Cook Islands sovereignty. In a 2022 visit Labours Nanaia Mahuta opposed the Cook Island government right to deep sea mining in its economic zone
National’s pro-mining position is undermined by its punitive approach and anti-Treaty of Waitangi policies and erasing Te reo Maori from the education system. For Rarotonga, they are disgusted by the Anti-Maori policies as Rarotongan Maori and Tangata Whenua have a shared history
yet both paths lead to subservience—not partnership.” neither of the large political party can be trusted
In the end, the Cook Islands face a choice: remain tethered to a nation that imposes ideology and suppresses indigenous rights—or chart a new course toward economic independence. The Coalition’s Rarotonga blunder may be remembered not just as a diplomatic misstep—but as the moment the Pacific turned away.
