Tokelau Language Week 2024
The 2024 theme for Tokelau Language Week | Te Vaiaho o te Gagana Tokelau is ‘Tokelau, tāofi mau tau aganuku, ko tō pale tēnā - Tokelau, holdfast to your culture, that is your crown.’
AUT alumna (Bachelor of Laws – General) and Pacific Community Navigator at The Fono, Sulu-Danielle Joshua, shares her language learning journey as part of Tokelau Language Week, in the ninth instalment of the University’s Pacific language video series for 2024, below.
When describing her thoughts about learning the language, Sulu-Danielle says ‘the biggest challenge is having the confidence to use it. I know we can be too shy to speak it in front of our own elders even though they will help us the most.
“Sustaining the language is crucial for our survival as Tokelauan. I try to use the language every day by speaking with my parents and my Nana. A tip for learning the language is to find something that interests you and ask your elders about it. You will not only find out more about the traditions and relevant stories but the language will come with it. It’s always good to be on this journey with those around you.”
The theme for the Pacific Language Weeks 2024 is sustainability, and AUT’s videos are a celebration of the power of language and culture featuring our Pacific staff, students and alumni who are sharing their experiences and journey with sustaining their Pacific heritage language.
The videos feature Pacific stories of the significance of heritage languages, from the perspectives of 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.
Tokelauan greetings and other resources for Te Vaiaho o te Gagana Tokelau | Tokelau 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 2024 AUT Pacific language video series as they are launched, follow the Pacific at AUT Facebook page or watch on YouTube.
- Papua New Guinea Pidgin Language Week: 10 - 16 November 2024
- Solomon Islands Pidgin Language Week: 24 - 30 November 2024