Coat of arms of the Cook Islands Coat of arms of the Cook Islands The coat of arms of the Cook Islands has a shield as its focal point. The shield is blue with fifteen white stars arranged in a circle, as found on the national flag, and is supported by a flying fish ("maroro") and a white tern ("kakaia"). The helmet is an ariki head-dress ("pare kura") of red feathers, symbolising the importance of the traditional rank system, and the name of the nation is on a scroll below the shield. The achievement is augmented by a cross and a Rarotongan club ("momore taringavaru") used by
Cook Islands National Party Cook Islands National Party The Cook Islands National Party was a political party in the Cook Islands. The party was launched on 24 March 2003 by Teariki Heather, a Rarotonga businessman. Its policies included a shorter parliamentary term. In July 2003 the party sought a declaratory judgement from the High Court that the seats of MPs Norman George and Paora Teiti were vacant after it was learned that the two were being paid as government consultants. The court subsequently ruled that the consultancy work did not constitute holding a position in the public service, and both retained their seats. Heather