'Hula Fit' classes combines Cook Islands, hip hop and Afrobeat dancing Photo: Susana Suisuiki
New Zealand is celebrating Cook Islands Language Week and according to the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, more than 80,000 New Zealanders identify as Cook Islander, although only nine percent can speak their mother tongue.
But the cultural traditions remain strong, perhaps the most notable of all the Cook Island's trademark dance, known as the "Ura".
In Mangere, one group is using this popular tradition to keep Cook Island youth in touch with their culture.
RNZ Pacific's Finau Fonua has more.
