Human Rights Commission

Tongan Language Week was held 1-8 September. The week was promoted by the Aotearoa Tongan Teachers Association in partnership with the Human Rights Commission, other organisations and members of the Tongan community. Visit the Tongan Language Week Facebook page for updates.

The goals of the week are to:

• celebrate the Tongan language and culture in New Zealand
• Promote the teaching and lpearning of the Tongan language
• raise awareness of the Tongan language as a language spoken by a significant number of people in New Zealand
• promote initiatives to maintain and grow the recognition, learning and use of the Tongan language in the home, in education, at work, in government, in the media, in sport, in the arts, in the church and in the community.

Some background on Tongan people in New Zealand

At the time of the last census (2006), there were 50,000 Tongans in New Zealand. They were the third largest Pacific group, after Samoans (131,000) and Cook Islanders (58,000), and the fastest growing group since the previous census. Tongans born in New Zealand account for 56% of the total Tongan population. Around 80% of Tongans live in Auckland. Just over 60% speak the Tongan language, but only 40% of those born in New Zealand do so.

Kāinga Tonga

‘Oku ou faka’apa’apa heni ki he ngaahi tu’unga kotoa pē ‘oku fakatapua he Fonuá mo ‘etau nofó, kae ‘atā ke fakahoko atu ‘a e talafatongia ni.

Kuo kotofa ‘a e ‘aho 1 – 8 ‘o Sepitema ke hoko ia ko e Uike Lea Fakatonga 2012 ‘i Aotearoa ni.

Kuo fokotu’u ai ‘e he Komiti Uike Lea FakaTonga 2012 ‘a e kaveinga ‘o e ta’u ni ‘o fakalea ko e “Fakakoloa ‘o ‘Aotearoa”.

‘Oku ‘uhinga ‘a e kaveinga ni, ke fakamahu’inga’i e Kakai Tongá, ko e koloa ‘o Aotearoa. Pea ‘i he’ene pehē, ko e me’a kotoa pē ‘a e kakai Tongá—lea fakaTonga, ‘ulungaanga, teunga fakaTonga, loto’i Tonga, ‘etau fakafōtunga, mo ‘etau to’onga fisifisimu’á, ko e koto koloa kotoa, pea ko ‘etau ngāue he ngaahi ‘aho ní, ko hono fakakoloa ‘o e fonua ni mei he koloa lelei kuo tukuloto’i mo ako’i kiate kitautolu!

Kuo tali lelei ‘e ‘Eiki Lupepau’u Tuita ke ne fakafofonga ‘a e Pataloni ‘o e Komiti Uike Lea FakaTonga, Pilinisesi Salote Pilolevu Tuita, ‘aki ‘ene me’a mai ke Huufi ‘a e Fakakoloa ‘o Aotearoa Uike Lea FakaTonga 2012.

Tu’unga ai e fakahoha’a ko ení ki he Tonga kotoa pē ‘i Aotearoa ni, pe ko e fē pē feitu’u mo ho Vahenga Fonuá, Ngāue’anga ‘oku ke kau ki ai, Siasi pe Fai’anga Lotu ‘oku ke ‘i ai, Kulupu pe Komiti Langa Ngāue ‘oku ke tataki mo ngāue ai, Kalapu fakafeitu’u ‘oku ke poupou ki ai—ke mou kataki ‘o KAU MAI ki he Fakakoloa ‘o Aotearoa Uike Lea FakaTonga 2012. Ko e faka’amu ke mou takitaha fa’u pe mo fakahoko ha’amou polokalama ko hono fakakoloa ‘o Aotearoa ‘i he lea fakaTongá, pea ko ho’omou faka’ilonga’i ia ‘a hotau Uike Lea FakaTongá (Tongan Language Week 2012).

‘I he ta’u ni, kuo fengāue’aki ‘a e Komiti mo e Letiō 531PI ke huufi ‘a e uike mahu’inga ni ‘i he ngalu’eá, ‘i he Polokalama Letiō ‘o e ‘aho 1 ‘o Sepitema taimi 2 – 6 efiafi ko e ‘uhí, ko e mahu’inga ke fēongo’aki ‘a e Kāinga Tongá mo e to’u kotoa pē, mei ha feitu’u pē ‘i Aotearoa. ‘Ikai ko ia pe, ka ‘e hokohoko atu ai pe hono ngāue’aki e Letio531PI ‘i he ‘aho kotoa pē ke fakaongo atu ai e Polokalama ‘o e Uike Lea FakaTonga, kau ai mo e Polokalama ‘o e efiafi Pulelulu 5 Sepitema pea mo e Tokonaki 8 Sepitema, ‘a ia ‘oku tāpuni ai ‘a e Uike Lea FakaTonga.

‘I he’ene pehē, ‘oku faka’amu ‘a e Komití ke tau fengāue’aki mu’a ‘aki ho’omou fakahā mai (e-mail pe telefoni pe) ‘a e polokalama te mou fakahoko ko e’uhí ke mau fakaongo atu ‘i he ngalu’eá.

‘Oku ‘amanaki foki ke fakahoko e fengāue’aki fakaletiō mo e ngaahi polokalama fakaTonga ‘i Letiō 1593AM, 104.6PlanetFM pea mo e 88.4FM ke nau ‘oatu e ngaahi fakamatala poupou mo e Polokalama ‘o e Fakakoloa ‘o Aotearoa Uike Lea FakaTonga.

Kuo faka’ilonga’i mai e fiepoupou ‘a e kakai Tonga mei tu’apule’anga, hange ko Hawaii, USA, ‘Aositelelia mo Tonga pea ‘oku fakafiefia ia he lava fakahoko e fengāue’aki fakataha ko eni ke ‘ave ‘a e uike ni ke fakamamani lahi (global) ‘i he kaha’u vave maí.

‘Oku ‘oatu e kole mei he Komiti ki he Kau Tauhi mo Mamahi’i Fonua, Kau Faiako, Ngaahi Mātu’a mo e Kau Tauhi Fānau, kau Taki he nofó ke tau kau fakataha mu’a ‘i hono lalanga ‘o e uike mahu’inga ni ke ngāue’aki ‘etau lea fakaTongá, pea toutou ngāue’aki ki he lahi taha ‘i he ngaahi tukunga kehekehe ‘o e nofó, ke tolonga ‘etau Lea fakaTongá mo hotau ‘ulungāanga fakaTonga, ko e fakakoloa, ki he hako tupu ‘o e fonuá mo e to’utangata ‘oku kei iiki he’etau fonongá.

Faka’osi, ‘a e tohi ni ‘aki ‘a e faka’amu ki he kau Takilotu mo Ha’a Faifekau he ngaahi Siasi kotoa pe ‘o e Kakai Tongá ke mou fakakau atu mu’a ‘a e Fakakoloa ‘o Aotearoa Uike Lea FakaTonga 2012 ‘i he ngaahi ouau lotu ‘o e ngaahi ‘aho ni pea mo e Sapate 2 ‘o Sepitema. Pehē foki mo e fakamalō ‘i hono ngāue’aki ‘a e Lea fakaTonga ‘i ho’omou ngaahi Polokalama Fakalotu mo e Lautohi FakaSāpate.

Faka’apa’apa atu

Dr Linitā Manu’atu

Sea ‘o e Fakakoloa ‘o Aotearoa Komiti Lea FakaTonga 2012.
e-mail: l.manuatu@xtra.co.nz
telefoni: 021 167 7979

Ke mou fakatokanga’i ange:

Ko e fakatātā eni e ngaahi ngāue kuo hoko mo teuaki ‘i he lea fakaTonga:

1. Lava e fe’auhi Lea fakaTonga ‘a e ‘apiako St Mary’s Mackillop School ‘o Mangere

2. Teu e fe’auhi Lea fakaTonga ‘a e ‘apiako Bilingual Sutton Park School.

3. Teu e Malanga huufi ‘o e Polokalama ako ‘a e Siasi Lotofale’ia. Sapate 1 Sepitema. Fakaafe’i ki ai e Minisitā Akō mo e Minisitā ki he Kakai Pasifiki.

4. Teu Fakatahataha ‘a e Kalapu Fonu mo e Moa – Kainga Hofoa. Tokonaki 8 Sepitema.

Fetu’utaki ki he Sekelitali: Kalolo Fihaki
e-mail: Kalolo.Fihaki@mpia.govt.nz
telefoni: (09)2621513 &0274939713

Tongan language publications