Transcript
It's not every student that gets this welcome at the Manukau Institute of Technology, and only one who will be ushered towards a throne.
But Salote Maumautaimi is no ordinary student - she's a member of Tonga's royal family: the niece of King Tupou VI.
This year, she's starting down a new path, moving to the Auckland suburb of Otara to study civil engineering at MIT.
She's the special guest at Tongan language week celebrations and says more young people should be getting involved with the language.
"Tongans, they're all about love. Everything they do is about love and as Tongans we love our culture and just loving our country and loving who we are as Tongans."
The theme of this year's Tongan Language Week is Fakakoloa 'o Aotearoa 'aki 'a e 'Ofa Fonua' - 'Enrich Aotearoa with the love of duty and service to country, community and people,'
Ms Maumautaimi says she's lucky enough not to get any special attention at MIT, but her being there has inspired other students.
Nia Tupouniua, is an executive member of the MIT Tongan Students Association.
"Because she also studies here it makes it even more special for us as a community as Tongans and for MIT. And a lot of the Tongan students here, most of the New Zealand-born Tongans, haven't been around anyone from the Royal Family so this is a big thing for them too."
She's studying social work and says Tongan language week is about more than just dancing and singing, and can be celebrated by all.
"But the thing that we don't want people to be afraid of is if they can't speak Tongan or they can't speak their mother tongue."
This year, MIT has been re-energising its Pasifika offering, with new language courses and student groups at its main campus.
Heading up the new drive is former National Party MP Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, who joined as Deputy Chief Executive Pasifika in September last year.
"It's about strengthening student voices, recognising our Pacific language and culture on campus and celebrating the really good parts of Pacific communities here in Otara and around Manukau."
Mr Lotu-Iiga says a tertiary level certificate in the Tongan language which was offered from July is a first-ever in New Zealand.
"Our belief is that if students are strong in their language, their culture and their heritage and understand where they come from and where they're going to, they're going to be more successful in the classroom and out in society."
Around 46 percent of the 75,000 people living in the Otara-Papatoetoe area are of Pacific decent, according to Stats NZ.
For Ms Maumautaimi, that diversity means MIT is a place she feels at home in, but the skills she develops there she wants to take back to Tonga.
"I'd like to go back home, my heart is in Tonga. And build up our country, fix up our roads and build nice big buildings."
