Focus Hawaii Jonassen Cook Island Video
Files
Download TRANSCRIPT_1995010_FocusHawaii_Jonassen_CookIslandVideo_19951212.pdf (79 KB)
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Description
Hosted by Lance Chase, this captivating 1995 episode of Focus Hawaii features John and Diya Jonassen of the Cook Islands—two cultural authorities deeply connected to the chiefly lines of Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Mangaia, and other islands of the Cooks. The interview centers on a rare and historically significant event: the filming of the investiture ceremony of the Makea Nui Ariki, one of the highest-ranking chiefly titles in the Cook Islands. With Diya having traveled with director Larry Lau to record the ceremony—a privilege seldom granted to outsiders—the Jonassens guide viewers through its cultural meaning, sacred protocols, and political implications. They explain the complex selection process, the interplay between traditional Maori custom and English colonial legal systems, and the dramatic rivalry between multiple claimants. Through video excerpts, the episode highlights ceremonial dressings, ancient marae settings, traditional roles of families and subchiefs, the famed symbolic biting of the pig’s ear, and the community’s expressions of allegiance. At its heart, the program offers a rare, intimate view of Polynesian leadership traditions, cultural continuity, and the tensions modern governance introduces into age‑old systems of rank and succession.
Length of Video
00:30:55
File Size
638.5 MB
Archives Call Number
22.FH
Air Date
Fall 12-12-1995
Keywords
Lance Chase, Focus Hawaii, Cook Islands, John Jonassen, Diya Jonassen, Makea Nui Ariki, Ariki investiture, Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Mangaia, Polynesian royalty, Cook Islands culture, Cook Islands Maori, marae Arai‑te‑Tonga, traditional leadership, pig ear ceremony, indigenous law vs English law, succession disputes, ceremonial headdress, marokura girdle, Maori customs, Pacific Islands political culture, Larry Lau, BYU–Hawaii video production
Recommended Citation
Chase, Lance; Jonassen, John; and Jonassen, Diya, "Focus Hawaii Jonassen Cook Island Video" (1995). Focus Hawaii. 14.
https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/focushawaii/14