Samoan Language Week at CPIT

Samoan Language Week at CPIT

Its Samoan Language week and everyone is invited! The theme for 2011 is Samoa Ola: Samoa Active, focusing on language, sport and healthy living, and linking to the visit of Manu Samoa to New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup.

Staff from CPIT’s brand new Centre for Maori and Pasifika Achievement Centre (CMPA) have prepared a week of exciting activities celebrating Pasifika food, sports, fashion and, of course, language. Samoan language week coincides with all Te Puna Wanaka students returning to the Madras St campus.

The programme:

Daily: Ula lolly

The Ula Lolly is necklace made of lollies. If you see someone wearing one and you speak to them in Samoan, the Ula Lolly will be passed on to you. At the end of the day a prize will be given to the person with the Ula Lolly. To collect this prize you must go to Te Puna Wanaka. See below for some Samoan phrases you can learn.

Wednesday, 1 June

CMPA Lunch for all Maori and Pacific students, 11:45 – 12:45, at Te Puna Wanaka.

Pacific Medical Association, 4-5:30pm at Te Puna Wanaka

The Pacific Medical Association hosts a workshop for Pasifika students involved in the health fields, to look at scholarships, academic pathways and mentor opportunities.

Adult Community Education: Samoan Language with a side of Chop Suey, 6:00-9:00pm, at Te Puna Wanaka

This cooking class will engage participants with Samoan language through food. This is the first of a regular cooking and language class programme.

Thursday, 2 June

Get Fresh and Dress Fresh parade (MC), 12:15pm, CPSA Building

Island style fashion is vibrant, colourful and, well, loud! Bring your Samoan style outfit to participate in this event or come along and have a look at the brightest parade in Christchurch!

Kapa Haka Cultural Performance by Te Puna Wanaka, 12:30pm, CPSA Building

Friday, 3 June

Samoan Kilikiti with TOA Sports, 12:00pm – 1:00pm, Recreation Centre

It’s like cricket, but with a few not so subtle differences. For example, there can be between 20 and 30 people to a team, which is made up of everyone from children to grandparents. Also the bat is quite tall and is triangle-shaped at the base. Finally, kilikiti is a great spectator sport, with spectators accompanying batsmen and women off the pitch with a variety of animated performances! You’ll just have to come and experience it first hand!

Tuesday, 7 June

Cultural Performances by Tafesilafa’i Preschool, 12.10pm, Atrium

Samoan phrases:
Talofa Hello
Talofa lava Hello (Formal Greeting)
Fa Good bye
Tofa Goodbye
Tofa Soifua Goodbye (Formal Greeting)
Fa’afetai Thank you
Fa’afetai Lava Thank you very much
Fa’amolemole Please

The Centre for Maori and Pasifika Achievement

The launch has been delayed by the earthquake but the CMPA is up and running and temporarily located in Te Puna Wanaka. The centre has been created to engage Maori and Pasifika students in educational opportunities and support them through their learning. This initiative will improve Whanau Ora (raising the quality of life for Maori and Pasifika students) and support TPW initiatives such as Whanau Transformation Through Education.

If you need any assistance or would like to know more please feel free to drop in a see us between 8:30 – 5pm.

Samoan Language Week

Samoan Language Week is an opportunity to celebrate the Samoan language in New Zealand, to recognise the language and culture of Samoan New Zealanders, to build bridges between cultures and to ensure that the language continues to be used widely in New Zealand in the future.

There are over 130,000 Samoan New Zealanders. The Samoan community is the fourth largest ethnic community after NZ Europeans (2,381,000), Māori (565,000), and Chinese (147,000). The Samoan language is the third most commonly spoken language in New Zealand after English and Māori.

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