National Samoan Language Speech Competition

Opening of the National Samoan Language Speech Competition, Lower Hutt Horticultural Hall, Laings Road, Lower Hutt

Ae, ou te le’i tautala i se upu, Tulou! E muamua lava ona fa’atulou atu i le au faigaluega paia a le Atua ma o outou faletua, aemaise le ta’ita’i o le sauniga, lau susuga i le fa’afeagaiga Senetenari Iupeli.

Ma taoto fa’amaene o tai loloto le paia maualuga o Samoa potopoto. O le ā ou lē a lei i le lau-ā-manu, ae ou te tuli-mata’i le fa’amuli o atu. Pe sala la’u gagana - tulou! O faiva lava o lima tautala.

Ae tau ia o sa’u fa’afetai e tusa o le valaauina o a’u. Lenei ua tatou oa oa i faleseu, ina ua sili mea o le seuga, sa fatu fa’asolo iai le fa’atautaiga. Fa’amalo le tofā tatala, Fa’autāga mau fa’a fale upolu, auā sa tu ma tilotilo le tamaloa Lealataua. O la’u fa’afetai lena.

Ou te mua’i fa’atalofa i lau Afioga i le Komesina o Samoa lau Afioga I le ao e’e Asi Blakelock ma le faletua, e fa’atalofa atu I le susuga i le Pulenu’u o le Hutt City David Ogden, lau Tofā Lavea Tupuola Malifa ua avea lou Fetalaiga e fai ma fofoga o le Aso, e fa’atalofa atu i susuga i Fa’amasino, e fa’atalofa atu foi i le Komiti Fa’afoe o le Fagasa Aoao, Tupu ma E’e o Samoa, Faletua ma Tausi, fa’apea Samoa potopoto.

Ou te fa’afeiloa’i fa’apitoa i lenei taeao mo alo ma fanau ua fa’atasi mai ona o lenei Tauvaga tautalaga, malo le loto toa, malo le tauivi ma le saili manuia, auā e lē faigofie le tula’i i luma o tagata. E momoli atu la’u fa’afetai i matua ma le paia o aiga ma uo ua fa’atasi mai, aemaise faiaoga ma pule aoga malo le lagolago mo le manuia o tatou fanau, auā o latou nei o le lumana’i o ā taeao.

Talofa, Talofa lava

O lenei fa’amoemoe ou te talitonu sa outou moemiti iai, o se miti sa fau ao fau po, o se miti na’o na fa’afua ae leai sona taunuuga, ae peita’i Samoa e, o lea ua fa’ataunu’uina i le alofa ma le agalelei o le tatou matai i le lagi.

Ou te talitonu, o le tagata ma lona fa’asinomaga, o le tagata ma lona aiga, o le tagata ma lona nu’u, o le tagata foi ma lona atunu’u – “E iloa le tama ma le teine Samoa i lana tu ma lana savali, ma lana tautala”.

Ou te talitonu o le sini lena o lenei fa’amoemoe – o le vaai mamao foi lena o le o le Komiti Fa’afoe o Fagasa Aoao ina ia tofu maua le avanoa so’o se talavou Samoa e su’esu’e ma malamalama ai i mataupu tau I le aganu’u fa’asamoa aua o le measina lea mo so’o se Samoa.

Samoa e, ma lo’u fa’aaloalo lava ou te fiafia tele e tatala aloia lenei fa’amoemoe, Ia manuia tele fuafuaga o le a feagai ai i lenei aso, aemaise le alo faiva o Alo ma Fanau i lenei Tauvaga.

Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Ni sa bula vinaka, Namaste, Kia orana, Ia Orana, Gud de tru olgeta, Taloha ni, Talofa, Kia ora tatou and Warm Pacific Greetings to you all this morning.

It is an honour to be here today for the National Samoan Language Speech competition, a celebration of the enormous talents of our Samoan young people. I thank our hosts FAGASA.

This year is Year of International Languages, in recognition of the fact that over 50 per cent of the 6700 languages spoken in the world today are in danger of disappearing. To illustrate the scale of loss, experts estimate that one language disappears on average every two years.

New Zealand’s Pacific peoples have expressed their concerns about the danger of loosing their traditional languages, and the fact that young people were no longer picking up and using their mother tongues in their homes and communities.

Census 2006 showed that only 24 per cent of Tokelauans, 11 per cent of Niueans, 6 per cent of ethnic Fijians and 5 per cent of Cook Island people born in New Zealand can speak their parents’ ethnic language.

Our Labour-led government understands the importance our Pacific languages, culture and identity make to New Zealand's national identity and has put in place strategies to counter the decline in Pacific language use. The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs has been working with our Pacific communities to develop resource kits and the new 'Mind Your Language' websites to encourage learning and using the Cook Islands, Niuean and Tokelauan languages.

When looking specifically at the use of Samoan in New Zealand, Census 2006 showed that only 44 per cent of New Zealand-born Samoans were able to hold an everyday conversation in Samoan. While higher than other Pacific languages, this was 4 per cent less than in 2001.

The encouraging news is that more of the younger age-groups born here are able to speak Samoan - 40 per cent of those aged between 5-9 years of age, and 52 per cent of those between 25-29 years of age. It is therefore the young people who will carry on the task of preserving our language, with our speakers today are a true illustration of this. These figures demonstrate the importance of work by organisations like FAGASA, nurturing and encouraging the learning of Samoan.

They show the vital role played by teachers of Samoan in New Zealand, and their involvement with Samoan communities across New Zealand who benefit from their expertise. They also emphasise the effectiveness of events like this Samoan language competition in spurring our young people to learn.

The number of young Pacific people here today shows me much more than the statistics. It shows me that you all recognise the value of learning and using the language of your parents and grandparents, and that you are willing to play a part in keeping it alive.

Everyone here today will have an understanding of the advantages of learning to speak another language. Many of us will have grown up hearing Samoan spoken in our homes; we might have learnt to speak it there, or at the aoga a le faifeau, or in our later school years.

We know that learning the language helps us to understand more about Samoan values and beliefs, and our heritage.

The ability to express yourself clearly in Samoan will benefit you in many aspects of your life, not least in sharpening your learning skills in other fields.

I’m sure that, for our contestants here today, preparing your speeches will have involved a lot of research, and that vital first step of finding out where to look and who to ask! You will have found excellent sources of information, statistics, facts, and background about science, society, the prevention and treatment of illnesses, how to live healthy lives.

The whole exercise, from research to writing to translating and delivering your speech, will stand you in good stead for your future studies, careers and life experiences.

Our Labour-led government is committed to ensuring more of our young Pacific students reach their educational potential. Key to this is staying on at school to gain qualifications, move into tertiary studies and train for careers.

We’re seeing Pasifika students making great progress. A report released in July showed that more than half of Pasifika students left school with Level 2 NCEA or above. But we want to see even greater progress, greater Pacific achievement throughout the education system and beyond.

I’m sure the members of FAGASA in particular would like to see some of you go on to gain qualifications in Pacific language teaching! You’ll be playing your part in keeping our language alive and relevant in the 21st century.

Our Pacific cultures and languages contribute greatly to the richness and diversity of New Zealand’s cultural landscape and to the face it shows the world.

As young Samoan people, you will find that learning to speak your language will increase your confidence and self-esteem, give you a stronger sense of your place in the wider New Zealand Samoan community, and greater pride in your heritage.

I would like to congratulate all those involved in organising and supporting the National Samoan Language Speech Competition 2008.

There is a Samoan saying, E sau le fuata ma lona lou. (In every generation there are some outstanding chiefs) The members of FAGASA have been outstanding chiefs and shown true leadership in their total commitment to teaching Samoan and promoting its use in everyday life and learning.

I know that many are practising or former teachers who have taught new generations to speak the Samoan language with fluency, accuracy and grace. I applaud your efforts and your many successes – which you will witness at the competition today!

I thank all the parents, families, teachers, church and community leaders who have supported and encouraged their young people to understand and use the Samoan language in their daily lives, and to take part in the competition.

I congratulate especially every one of the students who have entered the competition, who have worked so hard to research their topics, write their speeches and to practise delivering them.

Congratulations on your success so far in reaching the national competition. Every one of you is a winner. You are our next generation of chiefs.

Keep up that spirit of striving and achieving! And enjoy yourselves today.

I know that the theme of this year's competition is 'health'. As a government through the Pacific Health Action Plan we have been focusing on critical areas that will make the greatest different to the health of Pacific peoples in New Zealand – so it will be a delight and an education to hear our young people delivering the messages we need to hear about keeping ourselves safe, fit and well.

Thank you for inviting me to speak today and to celebrate the opening of the National Samoan Language Speech Competition 2008. I wish you all every success.

Soifua ma ia Manuia.