50-year milestone for Niue as Aotearoa celebrates Niue Language Week

The 2024 theme for Niue Language Week is 'Leveki mo e Feaki e Vagahau Niue ma Anoiha - Protect and Nurture Vagahau Niue for the Future.'. 

As well as celebrations to mark Faahi Tapu he Vagahau Niue, Niue Language Week, the country has also been celebrating Pule Fakamotu, 50 years of self-government, throughout the year. The historic occasion has seen events held both in Aotearoa New Zealand and Niue.

The first Niue Research Symposium was launched at the University of Auckland on 5 October, organised by Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa, Centre for Pacific and Global Health. 

Co-director of Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa, Associate Dean of Pacific Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Associate Professor of Population Health Sir Collin Tukuitonga, says he was fortunate to have Niuean as his first language, like many Niueans of his generation. 

“Vagahau Niue is in dire straits. I’m involved with a number of people doing our best to save it. But the language is losing ground every year.” 

Niuean is listed by UNESCO as one of the languages at risk of extinction. Niue has a population of around 1,564 but many of its diaspora in Aotearoa, some 30,000 don’t speak Niuean. 

“I’m lucky that, for me, and for others in my generation, Niuean was our first language, although we learned English at school.” 

Sir Collin said much work was being done behind the scenes to lobby the various ministries to work with the communities and churches around language revitalisation. 

The Happiness Project

PhD candidate Zoe Henry (Makefu/Niue, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāpuhi) is nearing the finish line to complete her doctoral thesis in Pacific Studies. A Fulbright scholar, last year she took part in The Happiness Project run by University of Otago academic researcher Dr Jess Pasisi.

Henry visited Niue for the first time with her father Salemona Patumaka. The project takes young tagata Niueans from Aotearoa back to Niue. It looks at how they interact and share knowledge, how the experience influences their understanding and ideas about Niue happiness, as well as building an understanding of mental health and well-being for Niue diaspora living abroad. 

“It was my first time in Niue and also my first trip overseas with my father, so that was something special,” says Henry. 

She says visiting her father’s village of Makefu was an incredible experience, especially after having spent most of last year in airports as a Fulbright exchange scholar with UCLA. It was also special to see her father shine as a knowledge-holder. 

“He was wondering what he could offer being surrounded by all these smart people. It turned out he had so much knowledge to share.” 

She visited the home where her father had grown up and welcomed the opportunity to explore her ties to Niue. 

“Being Māori here [in Aotearoa], it was the first time being in Niue I was knocking on the ground, this ground needs to knock back, and it did.” 

Henry later returned to Niue without her father and says it helped her to reconnect more deeply. 

“It was good, I’m quite shy until I’m comfortable, and it forced me to step out on my own. During the first trip I met my family, and the next time it was like, 'this is your home, you know how to act'!” 

Niuean Fenonga Tāoga Niue i Aotearoa visits University of Auckland

Te Tumu Herenga Libraries and Learning Services recently hosted the Niuean Fenonga Tāoga Niue i Aotearoa Niuean Heritage journey in Aotearoa. The group visited the University of Auckland’s General Library to bless the curated collection from the Niuean Fenonga Tāoga Niue i Aotearoa, which is housed in cabinets on level one.