Coat of Arms of the Cook Islands
|
|
The Coat of Arms of the Cook Islands has a shield as its focal point The shield contains the fifteen stars found on the national flag. A different bird is on each side of the shield, one supporting a cross as a symbol for Christianity, the other supporting a feather. The name of the nation is on a banner below the shield.
The coat of arms was designed by Papa Motu Kora, a mataiapo, a traditional chiefly title from the village of Matavera in Rarotonga. Papa Motu is the secretary of the House of Ariki -- the house of paramount chiefs from all over the Cook Islands. He has held this post for many years and is well known in the Cook Islands as a tumu korero or traditional orator.