Human Rights Commission
Media Release
20 February 2007

Urgent Action Required to Halt Decline in Pacific Languages Use

There is an urgent need for further action to halt the decline in those Pacific Island languages where the majority of the population live in New Zealand, says Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres.

In a statement to mark UNESCO’s International Mother Languages Day on Wednesday 21 February, Mr de Bres said that the recently released results of the 2006 census showed that only 17% of Cook Islanders, 24% of Niueans and 41% of Tokelauans living in New Zealand were able to speak their mother languages. These percentages have dropped a further 1-4% since the last census in 2001.

“This is particularly worrying because when you look at the total number of Niueans, Cook Islanders and Tokelauans living in New Zealand and their home islands, 91% of Niueans, 73% of Cook Islanders, and 83% of Tokelauans live in New Zealand. Only around 2,000 Niueans and 1,400 Tokelauans live in Niue and Tokelau, compared to 22,000 and nearly 7,000 respectively in New Zealand. The critical mass of the populations live in New Zealand. Action to halt the decline and maintain the languages therefore has to be taken here in cooperation with the Pacific Islands concerned. These languages are at risk not only in New Zealand but in the world.”

“Because these countries have a special relationship with New Zealand, and their people effectively have New Zealand citizenship status, the New Zealand government has a particular responsibility for their language protection and maintenance in the global context. Language is an important part of identity and culture.”

In 2004 when Niue celebrated its 30th anniversary as an independent nation in free association with New Zealand, the Government made a commitment to assist Niue in maintaining its distinct culture and language.

Since that time the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs has initiated the Mind Your Language Project for the Niuean, Cook Island Māori and Tokelauan languages in New Zealand.

In 2005 a Vagahau Niue community language resource was launched to help teach the basics of the Niuean language to Niueans, and in the 2006 budget a further $600,000 over three years was allocated to the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs to produce resources for Cook Island Māori and Tokelauan. The budget also included further development of the Vagahau Niue language resources.

The Ministry of Education has recently completed the first ever New Zealand school curricula for Samoan and Cook Island Maori, and is expecting to complete curricula for Niuean, Tokelauan and Tongan this year.

The latest census figures indicate that further investment is needed both in the community and in schools Mr de Bres said. “The Human Rights Commission had promoted the idea of a Pacific Languages Week to raise community awareness, and floated the idea of a Pacific Languages Commission, but would welcome other ways of addressing the issues. This is an issue not just for Government but also for the communities concerned.”

--

Background Information

Language / 2001 Language speakers / 2001 Population / % / 2006 Language speakers / 2006 Population / % / Population in home states
Samoan / 81,036 / 115,017 / 70 / 85,428 / 131,103 / 65 / 176,908
Tongan / 23,045 / 40,716 / 57 / 29,496 / 50,481 / 58 / 114,689
Cook Islands Maori/Rarotongan / 9,372 / 52,704 / 18 / 9,702 / 57,939 / 17 / 21,388
Niuean / 5,478 / 20,148 / 27 / 5,481 / 22,476 / 24 / 2166
Fijian / 3,588 / 7,041 / 51 / 4,974 / 9,864 / 50 / -
Tokelauan / 2,808 / 6,204 / 45 / 2,793 / 6,819 / 41 / 1392

Supporting Pasifika Languages – Update from the Ministry of Education

2007 is a significant year, with the launch of two more Pasifika curriculum guidelines designed to support students’ second language learning in New Zealand schools. Vagahau Niue in the New Zealand Curriculum and Tongan Language in the New Zealand Curriculum are to join Taiala mo le Gagana Sāmoa i Niu Sila and Cook Islands Māori in the New Zealand Curriculum.

Both Vagahau Niue in the New Zealand Curriculum and Tongan Language in the New Zealand Curriculum are in the final stages of publication with launches expected mid 2007. In the upcoming months both curricula will undergo a further round of wider consultation seeking feedback from teachers, educators (early childhood, compulsory schooling, tertiary institutions) and Pasifika community practitioners.

The development and writing phase for Tokelau in the New Zealand Curriculum is well underway and the writers expect to provide the Ministry of Education with a draft curriculum document by mid 2007. A style and content edit is the next step, most likely moving into the publication phase in early 2008.

The Learning Languages Series [LLS] multimedia support materials for Cook Islands Māori have been developed and the filming and trialling phase of this work is planned for completion end of 2007. Developing and writing the multimedia support materials for the Sāmoan LLS will also begin in 2007.

The Ministry of Education also publishes the following resources for Pasifika students:

* The Tupu Series - books in Sāmoan, Tongan, Niuean, Cook Islands Māori and Tokelauan and a CD in these languages and English. There are also teachers’ notes in English that support the New Zealand Curriculum Framework, Sāmoan in the New Zealand Curriculum, Cook Islands Māori in the New Zealand Curriculum and Developing Programmes for Teaching Pacific Island Languages with the five accompanying guidelines.

* Folauga – a Sāmoan journal for Yrs 1-8 that support the Achievement Objectives of Sāmoan in the New Zealand Curriculum for all levels.

* Folauga Ua Loa – a magazine for Yrs 9-13 that will engage students with high-interest reading material to support literacy in Sāmoan language. Also teachers’ notes to assist teachers to use the resource in contexts and ways that motivate and engage students so they are supported towards achieving identified learning outcomes.

* Pacific Song Series – five song books and CDs in each of the following Pasifika languages – Sāmoan, Cook Islands Māori, Tongan, Niuean and Tokelauan.

All these developments highlight the importance of learning an additional language but also help to strengthen our own language(s) and culture (s) which enrich us personally and contribute to the social wellbeing of our nation as part of a diverse world of languages, cultures and people.

He taonga ngā reo katoa
All languages are to be treasured

ENDS

© Scoop Media