Transcript
AMANDA PATUTAUE: The group was formed after fono was held in April last year to focus on ways to promote and maintain the use of our language, and ever since then we thought of doing more.
INDIRA STEWART: So there are more Niueans in New Zealand then in Niue, so celebrating the language here for the Niuean community must be pretty important right?
AP: Yes, most definitely. Especially having more Niueans here, born and raised in New Zealand, they're not really aware of the language or the activities that we have to promote this sort of thing. So that's why NYN, or Niue Youth Network, has come up with ways as to how we could engage these sorts of people who have been born and raised here in NZ, to have more ties with our Vagahau Niue.
IS: For the younger generation who are being raised here in New Zealand, born and raised here as you say, where English is the main language here in New Zealand, is support here for Niuean language and culture becoming a lot more accessible now?
AP: To me personally, I think that it is. For example, we have a lot of ECE centres that are run by Niueans and for Niuean children. In some schools, such as Alfriston College, they have Vagahau Niue class as part of their curriculum and there are other sources as well that are accessible for youth today, such as Niue language classes. We have different activities such as fono's being held, that would encourage our fotu Niue or our Niue youth, to come and to learn more and embrace being Niuean and also learn more about our Vagahau Niue.
IS: What do those members of the Niuean community who are in the older generation, what do they think of that? I know it was a lot more difficult for those in the older generation who perhaps migrated here from Niue years ago, to find that kind of support back then.
AP: They're very very supportive. Very supportive in saying they actually bring their children, they bring their youth to community events, our Niuean community events, they encourage them to come. They help us a lot in not only that, but they also give us tips - we are not fluent speakers ourselves, well the majority of us aren't, so they kind of correct our language if we get it wrong, spelling errors...so just having that kind of support out there from them helps us a lot and just encourages us to keep going in trying to learn our Niuean language. I mean, everyone in the group, we all have different levels of fluency. So, I reckon we all have a great understanding of the language but it's just a matter of using it. We're not using it as often, we're always speaking English to each other.
IS: Are you hoping that more Niueans in New Zealand will put the language to practice more in the community?
AP: Yeah, most definitely. We are trying our best now and it's up to the upcoming youth or the younger generation to carry that on to continue this push to use the Niuean language.
