Samoan Language Week 2021

Talofa lava, Afio mai. Welcome to Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa - Samoa Language Week held from Sunday 30 May – Saturday 5 June, 2021. Samoa’s 59th year of independence was on Tuesday 1 June.

The theme is Poupou le lotoifale. Ola manuia le anofale which means strengthen the posts of your house, for all to thrive. When you’re building a foundation for a fale (house) it can’t have a weak foundation or posts. This is the same for the foundations of our families, schools and churches that play an important role in strengthening Gagana Samoa (the Samoan Language). Language is important for the foundations of our overall wellbeing.

Unitec Pacific Centre is also running some events on campus to embrace and celebrate Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa. Staff and students are welcome to join in this week to wear blue and sing the Samoan national anthem and do a Unitec Tik Tok video, Game show – who wants to be a Samoan and Public lecture – We are Samoa. More info is on the Unitec Pacific CentreFacebook page.

For Samoan Language Week, my colleagues Leone Samu Tui (Associate Curator, Documentary Heritage, Pacific) and Seulupe Dr Falaniko Tominiko (Deputy Chair of Auckland Museum’s Pacific Advisory Group) reflect on the significance of a measina held in Auckland Museum’s manuscript collection: an unpublished tusi faʻalupega or collection of Sāmoan chiefly titles and village salutations, compiled in 1902. Read more on the AucklandMuseum website.

Unitec Library has resources in both print and electronic version to learn more about Gagana Samoa. Check out the Unitec Library catalogue and our Pacific subject guide.

See our display at Te Puna Library.

Use the hashtag #SamoanLanguageWeek to follow the events on social media. 

Practice some everyday phrases Gagana o aso uma in Samoan

Samoan	English
Tālofa lava	Greetings/Hello
Tōfā	Goodbye
Fa’amolemole	Please
Fa’afetai	Thanks
Malie / Fa’amalie atu / Fa’amalulu atu	Sorry

 For more information, visit these websites:

• Gagana Samoa i Aotearoa on Facebook

•  Ministry for Pacific Peoples

• The Coconet.tv (Samoan cultural practices videos)

Manuia le aso 

Fa’afetai tele lava

 

Rotuman Language Week 2021

Noa’ia ‘e mauri,

Welcome to Rotuman Language Week held from Sunday 9 May – Saturday 15 May, 2021. 

This year’s theme for Gasav Ne Fäeag Rotuạm Ta - Rotuman Language Week is Tutur häk ne måür lelei – the four pillars of life and wellbeing:

•  Måür Fak'ata (spiritual - a place of solace that gives meaning to life)

•  Måür Fakforo (physical - living life in all its fullness)

•  'Os A'häe (psychological - steers our presence and place in life)

•  Hạikạinagaga (social - our connection with people)

The traditional Rī Fak Rotuam is a Rotuman thatched shelter or house which needs four strong pillars to hold the entire house together, just like the four pillars for our wellbeing. The theme acknowledges and celebrates the strength and resilience of our Pacific communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

To celebrate the beginning of 2021's Pacific Language Week, we would like to acknowledge our Rotuman community in Aotearoa for sharing your beautiful culture and language with us. The Rotuman language is listed on the UNESCO list of endangered languages. Rotuma lies approximately 465 km to the north of Fiji Islands. Rotuma is formerly known as Granville Island, also depicted as the “Garden of the Pacific”, from its rich green fertile land and clear sea. After the Deed of Cession, Rotuma became a British colony and was closed as a port of entry under the Fiji Government in 1970 when Fiji gained its independence. Read more about Rotuma’s culture, history, geography and language in the Educational Resource provided by Ministry for Pacific Peoples website here: https://www.mpp.govt.nz/assets/Language-Weeks-2021/Rotuman/Rotuman-Educational-Resource-2021.pdf 

 

Unitec Library has resources both in print and electronic version to learn more about the island nation, Rotuma. Check out the Unitec Library catalogue and our Pacific subject guide.

 

See our display at Te Puna Library.

 

 Use the hashtag #‎officialnzrotumanlanguageweek to follow the events on social media.

 For more information, visit these websites:

• Auckland Museum 

• Ministry of Pacific Peoples  

• NZ Rotuman Language Week on Facebook

• Atumotu Helava la Kele- The National Anthem of Rotuma – The Coconet.tv 

• Rotuma Day 140th Anniversary Celebrations online event join the members of the New Zealand Rotuman Fellowship in Wellington in this online celebration of culture and koroa (treasures), the Rotuman–New Zealand way. The livestream coverage of the Rotuma Day 140th Anniversary celebrations will commence at 5pm Thursday 13 May (NZST)

Faiakse ‘ea