Niue is one of the world's largest coral islands. Niue peoples are the fourth largest Pacific community living in Aotearoa New Zealand with over 30,000 people, 75% of whom live in Auckland.
Niue Language Week provides an opportunity for students to learn, speak, and celebrate the indigenous language of Niue, through language, song, dance, cultural displays, and community events.
Niue Language Week helps all New Zealander's journey towards shared cultural understandings. Learning a new language gives us insight into new ways of thinking and to different beliefs and cultural practices. Through this learning, we acquire knowledge, skills, and attitudes that help us live in our culturally diverse world.
There is a chance that you will have some Niuean speakers in your school community. Encourage those students and their families to be experts during Niue Language Week and validate their expertise in front of other students. Support them to teach Niuean and prepare the Niue Language Week celebrations for the school, placing an emphasis on shared language experiences.
The 2020 Niuean Language Week theme is ‘Faliki e tau momoui he tau atuhau ke he Vagahau Niue ’ which in English translates to, “Lay the foundations - give rise to Vagahau Niue for generations".
This years theme reminds us of the need to not only respect and treasure our languages and cultures but to work daily to ensure the foundation remains strong for generations to come. Niue Language week is in its ninth year, the 2020 Niue Language Week is focused on laying the foundations to give rise to Vagahau Niue for future generations.
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