RAROTONGA woke up earlier this month to a different kind of Pacific gathering.
This was not a summit of speeches, but a working exchange about who gets to govern nature, and how Indigenous knowledge can shape the climate response the region now needs.
Against the backdrop of the Cook Islands’ 60th anniversary of the House of Ariki, Indigenous leaders, traditional authorities, conservation practitioners and youth representatives from across the Pacific have gathered in Rarotonga for the Pacific Inclusive Conservation Learning Exchange, a regional forum built around one central idea: conservation is strongest when it is led by the communities who have cared for land and sea for generations.
Convened by Conservation International, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Ui Ariki Ngateitei o te Kuki Airani (UANKA), the exchange is bringing together participants from the Cook Islands, Aotearoa New Zealand, Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Thailand and Vanuatu.
The meetings are focused on practical questions at the intersection of culture, governance, and climate survival: sustainable financing for community-led conservation, customary land and marine governance, protected and conserved areas, traditional management systems such as Rāhui, youth leadership, environmental education, and climate resilience.
Leausalilo Schannel van Dijken, Senior Director of Marine and Heritage at Conservation International, said the exchange is intended to build on work already taking shape in communities across the region.
“The Pacific is connected not only by the ocean, but by generations of knowledge, stewardship and responsibility passed from one generation to the next,” he said.
“This Exchange honours this responsibility, building on work already underway in communities, from co-designed education approaches and youth learning to marine citizen science and locally led conservation pilots. It reminds us that Indigenous knowledge and customary governance are not separate from conservation; they are among its strongest foundations.”
That framing reflects a wider shift across the Pacific, where conservation is increasingly being designed around local authority rather than imposed from outside.
In the Cook Islands, that shift is already visible in education and community stewardship programs tied to the Kura Tapu Manifesto, developed during the 2025 National Education Symposium.
The manifesto set out a shared vision for education that reflects Cook Islands identity, values and responsibility to the environment.
Indigenous Exchange
A national co-design workshop in March 2026 brought together teachers, Ministry of Education officials, educators, traditional leaders, practitioners, and knowledge holders to develop culture – and nature-based education modules, as well as marine citizen science programs that combine traditional knowledge with modern science.
Those pilots are now being rolled out in Atiu, Mauke and Mangaia, where organisers say they are beginning to show how local knowledge and scientific monitoring can work together to prepare the next generation to act as guardians of nature.
For UANKA, the exchange is also a moment of cultural affirmation.
Secretary General of UANKA Inc., Puna Rakanui, said the timing, alongside the House of Ariki’s anniversary, gives the gathering added weight.
“For the Cook Islands, it is an honour to welcome Indigenous leaders from across the Pacific during this significant year marking the 60th anniversary of the House of Ariki,” he said.
“Our ancestors understood that the wellbeing of our people is inseparable from the wellbeing of our environment. Traditional leadership carries the responsibility of caring for both.
“By sharing our experiences and learning from one another, we strengthen the wisdom, values and partnerships needed to ensure future generations inherit healthy ecosystems, strong cultures and thriving communities.”
The exchange included women and youth participants, among them four Indigenous fellows from the Inclusive Conservation Initiative’s International Policy Fellows program, representing Thailand, Fiji and the Cook Islands.
Their presence is meant to push the conversation beyond traditional leadership alone, bringing intergenerational perspectives into a region where the transmission of knowledge is being disrupted by migration, changing livelihoods and the growing distance many young people have from customary lands and waters.
Roko Sau, Paramount Chief of Totoya in Fiji’s Lau Islands,said that interruption made forums like this more than symbolic.
“Pacific peoples share values of respect, reciprocity and stewardship that have guided the care of our lands and seas for generations,” he said.
“The knowledge passed down through our communities has helped sustain fisheries, protect important ecosystems and build resilience to storms, droughts and other climate impacts.
“As many young people spend more time away from their traditional lands and waters, gatherings like this play an important role in keeping that knowledge alive.
“By sharing experiences and learning from one another, we can strengthen Indigenous leadership and ensure our communities, cultures and environments continue to thrive in a changing climate.”
Supported by the Global Environment Facility Inclusive Conservation Initiative, New Zealand’s Manaaki Fund and the EU-funded COLORS project, the exchange is being positioned as more than a one-off event.
Organisers say the aim is to amplify and scale locally led efforts, strengthen regional collaboration and shared advocacy, and turn the week’s discussions into practical next steps that extend well beyond Rarotonga.
