Samoan Language Week
Samoan is New Zealand's third most spoken language and has been taught at Victoria University of Wellington for over 30 years. Our Samoan Studies programme staff and students are taking a key part in leading this year's celebrations, which due to the Alert Level 2 restrictions will mostly be taking place online. We are proud to share a guest blog written for Te Papa as well as one of the beautiful songs this year's SAMO202 class has performed. We hope you enjoy the warmth it exudes as we move into the New Zealand winter.
Samoan is one of the many languages students can learn at the School of Languages and Cultures. With a long and rich heritage this language is part of the Samoan Studies programme offered by Va'aomanū Pasifika, which also offers Pacific Studies.
"For all our students, regardless of their ethnicity, Samoan Studies courses challenge them to develop new understandings of themselves as residents of multicultural societies and diaspora communities in Aotearoa" says Niusila Faamanatu-Eteuati, lecturer of Samoan Studies.
National celebrations
Samoan Studies Lecturer Sadat Muaiava is organising many of the national events taking place this week including Samoan Language Week launch and a church service led by Rev Elder Asuelu Matau shared online through Samoan Capital Radio.
Sadat is also facilitating a talanoa (dialogue) about certain aspects of Gagana Samoa (the Samoan language), events related to the Gagana Samoan Dictionary, Bible readings in Gagana Samoa as well as storytelling online.
‘Good talk’ and ‘bad talk’
As well as being a lecturer at the School of Languages and Cultures, Sadat completed his his PhD in Pacific Studies here in 2018. To mark Samoan Language Week he has written a guest blog for Te Papa revealing changes in the Samoan language that he explored during his doctoral research.
Focussing on the distinctive linguistic feature of dual formal and informal registers, 'tautala lelei' (good talk) and 'tautala leaga' (bad talk), he shares with us his conclusion that early missionaries were keen to encourage this difference in order to elevate the position of the Church within Samoan society.
Cyber choir
Meanwhile this year's SAMO202 Fa'asinomaga ma Tusitusiga Samoa/Samoan Literature class has formed a 'cyber choir' and is celebrating the week using Zoom. Niusila Faamanatu-Eteuati has enjoyed coaching her students in correct pronunciation and has made their rendition of the traditional song Le Atunu'u Pele available for others to enjoy.
Niusila explains "the song is about the Samoan way of life and it sends a reminding message to know and celebrate your Samoan identity, your genealogy, language and culture regardless of where in the world you may be. It hopes to empower people to be resilient and share warmth and alofa even through adversity."
This performance, which forms one of the students' assessments, is one of the many ways in which SAMO202 students embrace and explore Samoan culture, values, heritage and language.
Recordings of other songs and Samoan stories, including some read by Niusila Faamanatu-Eteuati, are also available on the Language Learning Centre's Rays of Sound website. For more details of the week's celebrations visit the Ministry for Pacific Peoples' Samoan Language Week page.
Article: Benjamin Swale