Southern Cook Islands Customary Law, History and Society

The focus of this book is the Southern Cook Islands and its people.

Since Ron Crocombe wrote his pioneering works Land Tenure in the Cook Islands in 1961 and 1964 (when anthropology was still a fledgling discipline), and edited and published Richard Gilson’s 1952 thesis as a book, The Cook Islands 1820-1950, no other detailed analysis of Cook Islands history and customary law has been published.

The purpose of this book is to re-examine primary sources, to synthesize other peoples scholarly work, and to place Ron Crocombe’s and Ross Holmes research into a book which provides a detailed record of pre-European Southern Cook Islands customary law and society, and the impact which Europeans have had thereon. Fortunately we are now in a better position to interpret and understand customary evidence than the authors and Courts in the Cook Islands previously were, as there is now a relatively large volume of source material, much of which has not been previously analysed or readily accessible.

The book comprises three volumes, 1,280 full colour pages printed on high quality 128 gram matt art paper, which is presented in a slip case. The Volumes are designed by award winning designer Trevor Newman, who designed Vaka Moana.

Cost NZ$150.00 including courier fees in New Zealand and pick up from Kia Orana Villas in Rarotonga. Please contact us for oders for other countries.