Mana Strickland

Who is Mana Strickland?

Te Ariki Terau Mana Strickland was a Cook Island educator and politician. He was the Minister of Education in the first Cook Islands government after self-government was obtained in 1965.

Strickland was born in Mangaia. He was a teacher and taught at schools in Pukapuka, Mauke, Aitutaki, and Rarotonga. Eventually he became the headmaster at Avarua School, the largest primary school in the Cook Islands. Strickland was also a lecturer at the Cook Islands Teachers' College. As a teacher, he wrote language instruction books on Cook Islands Māori.

Strickland was a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Cook Islands prior to self-government. He was elected to the Parliament of the Cook Islands in the 1965 election as a representative of the Cook Islands Party. When the Cook Islands Constitution entered into force on 4 August 1965, Strickland became the self-governing country's first Minister of Education.

Strickland was a first cousin to Albert Henry, the Cook Islands' first premier. Strickland resigned from CIP and the Cabinet in 1968 to protest what he viewed as mismanagement of the government by Henry. Strickland joined the United Cook Islanders party and served in the parliamentary opposition after the 1968 election.