Tongan Language Week is back for 2021.
Tongan language week is known as Uike Kātoanga‘i ‘o e Lea Faka-Tonga and each year it has a new theme.
This year, the focus is on the Tongan approach to holistic education (Fakakoloa ‘o Aotearoa ‘Aki ‘a e Ako Lelei).
Celebrating the Tongan language is about honouring the many layers of connection between Tonga and New Zealand. This includes a shared ocean, colonial ties, and the current makeup of the population.
A number of events have been planned for this week. Although Covid-19 restrictions have restricted these slightly.
To start the week, The Ministry of Pacific Peoples will host an official online launch on Sunday at 2pm, streamed on the ministry Facebook page for the public. On Wednesday, the ministry’s Instagram page will be run by Tongan youth.
The Auckland Museum will also be lit up in red and white this week in honour of Tongan Language Week.
2 Responses
I’m in Dunedin right now not Tonga and it actually Maori Language week so HA