Fakatūleva e Vagahau Niue mo e Tau Aga Fakamotu ma e Tau Atuhau - Sustain Niue Language and Culture for Future Generations.
Faahi Tapu he Vagahau Niue - Niue Language Week 2023 kicks off at the University of Auckland Fale Pasifika.
This year’s theme for Faahi Tapu he Vagahau Niue – Niue Language Week is Fakatūleva e Vagahau Niue mo e Tau Aga Fakamotu ma e Tau Atuhau, which means - Sustain Niue Language and Culture for Future Generations.
This year, the Vagahau Niue Trust hosted the opening at the University of Auckland Fale Samoa. It was a indeed a pleasure for the Centre for Pacific Languages Trustee - Iani Nemani and Manager - Crystal Fetalaiga to attend the opening festivities. As shared by the Chair of the Vagahau Niue Trust - Carrisa McCay, that it is the vision of the Trust to one day open a Fale Niue, a home for the Vagahau Niue to thrive and flourish in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Interim CEO of the Centre for Pacific Languages, Ron Hiku Viviani, who hails from the village of Hakupu Atua, Niue, acknowledges that the vagahau Niue is at critical junction and the many efforts to revitalise the language over the next 10 to 15 years will determine if it is to survive for generations to come. Viviani says that 'although the spiritual home of the language resides in Niue, it has great spiritual value and significances to the many, living in the diaspora, especially for the 30,000 tagata Niue living in Aotearoa New Zealand'. The challenge would be understanding how these values are perceived by a Tagata Niue living in Aotearoa and whether it can be harnessed effectively to help rejuvenate and promote the Vagahau Niue. Like climate change - it comes down to numbers and a tipping point, the vagahau Niue is fast approaching such a point. Any meaningful efforts and the best possibilities to rejuvenate and revitalise the language will be with those living in the diaspora.
In this sense, Viviani notes that the work of the Centre for Pacific Languages contributes to the collective effort to revitalise the Vagahau Niue, but also acknowledges the importance of the community led initiatives, especially the Vagahau Niue Trust (VNT) and many others working in this space. The celebration of the Pacific Language Weeks also has an important role in language revitalisation efforts but more so for the Vagahau Niue.
The Niue people have reached a crossroads where the status of the Vagahau Niue is considered most vulnerable.
Vagahau Niue has been registered with UNESCO as an endangered language, so one of the challenges we face is the preservation of Vagahau Niue and Niue culture.
It is vital that we preserve, sustain and maintain the Vagahau Niue and Cultures for many generations to come. Niue leaders and community groups are working hard to explore, discuss and formulate strategies to ensure that the Vagahau Niue and its Cultures are protected and sustained for future generations.
Young New Zealand-born Niueans have said that Vagahau Niue and Niue Cultures are avenues to stay connected with their parents and grandparents; it is their sense of identity.
Activities and events for 2023 will be hosted throughout Aotearoa, to embrace Faahi Tapu he Vagahau Niue - Niue Language Week. Bookmark this page to see the Calendar of Events when published.
Check out the Ministry of Pacific Peoples website for more information.
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