pukapuka

Pukapuka is a Māori word meaning “book.” In Māori, pukapuka refers to a bound written work and can denote a single book or books in general; the plural form is indicated by ngā pukapuka, as in “the books.” The term is common in education, literature, and everyday speech.

Pukapuka also denotes a small atoll in the northern Cook Islands, part of the Pukapuka-Nassau group in the South Pacific. The atoll is inhabited by people who speak the Pukapukan language, a Polynesian language closely related to other Cook Islands Māori varieties. The population is small, numbering in the low hundreds, and the local economy relies on subsistence farming and fishing, with some coconut agriculture and crafts. Life on the atoll traditionally centers on its lagoon and surrounding islets, with communities maintaining customary practices and navigation knowledge. Pukapuka is administered as part of the Cook Islands, with local governance grounded in both customary leadership structures and official territorial administration.