Niue Language Week 2023
Year 13 Dean at Southern Cross Campus, Vilimotu Waizu Fohetapu Fakalanu, says he wants to sustain his language because, “Even though he doesn’t know the language, the language will always know me. It knew me before I was born because it is who I am. It is where I come from and my connection to the sea.”
“There are many Niueans that I work with at Southern Cross Campus and they remind me of my Niuean Nana – the way that they speak, the way they teach our kids, the way they dress and the way they hold themselves. It is a constant reminder that I have no excuse but to sustain the language, not only for our current generation but for generations to come.”
The Bachelor of Communication Studies alumnus shares his language learning journey for Faahi Tapu he Vagahau Niue – Niue Language Week, in the eighth instalment of the University’s Pacific language video series for 2023, below.
The theme for the Pacific Language Weeks 2023 is sustainability, and AUT’s videos are a celebration of the power of language and culture featuring our alumni who are sharing their experiences and journey with sustaining their Pacific heritage language.
The videos feature a diverse range of alumni, from business leaders to educators, community leaders and more, who are all passionate about sustaining languages for future generations.
Through their stories, it will be evident the many ways in which language is a vital component of cultural identity and the ways our alumni have implemented it into their daily lives.
Niuean greetings and other resources for Faahi Tapu he Vagahau Niue – Niue Language Week, including email signatures and printable posters, are available on the website of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.
Release date
To watch each video in the 2023 AUT Pacific language video series as they are launched, follow the Pacific at AUT Facebook page or watch on YouTube.
- Tokelau Language Week: Sunday 22 October – Saturday 28 October 2023