Dear Editor,
If the passport is primarily about identity, here’s an idea that avoids political and emotional upheaval: run a competition to design a new Cook Islands heritage immigration stamp.
The current hexagonal stamp lacks any distinctly Kuki Airani features, and the wording is difficult to read – especially with the red pen used to fill it in. During the Covid era, Air NZ staff had to spend extra time studying mine just to make sure I was cleared to travel.
Retain the NZ passport, but create a stamp that’s unique and unmistakably representative of our culture, and distinct from the other immigration stamps. Sorted!
While we’re at it, why not seriously consider adopting a new name for our country, one that truly reflects the heritage and culture of our tangata ‘enua. Now that’s about real identity … but I suspect it’s a whole other Pandora’s box.
(Name and address supplied)
