TOKELAU LANGUAGE WEEK 2021 Sunday 24 October - Saturday 30 October
History
Traditional knowledge and linguistic evidence link the original settlers with Sāmoa, Pukapuka (in the Cook Islands), Niuafo‘ou (in Tonga), and Tùvalu. Approximately five hundred people live on each of Tokelau’s three atolls. Many of the families that used to live on Olohega have moved to Hawaii. The villages operate largely by inati, a system of sharing. Much of the village work is communal, and catches of fish are distributed among the whole community. Though Tokelau now has several shops and a money economy, the system of inati is still central to the way of life.
Where is Tokelau?
Tokelau Language
Gagana Tokelau is the indigenous language in Tokelau. English is also widely spoken as a second language and is taught in Tokelau’s schools. Gagana Tokelau is spoken in many parts of the world, including New Zealand, Australia, Sāmoa, American Sāmoa, and Hawai‘i.
Gagana Tokelau belongs to the Polynesian language family, as does te reo Māori. Within this family, gagana Tokelau is grouped within the Samoic languages. These include the languages of Tuvalu, Pukapuka, Niuafo‘ou, and Sāmoa, which have words with similar sounds and meanings. Their alphabets also show similarities.
The influence of the language of Sāmoa, by means of the Bible and other printed religious material, is evident in gagana Tokelau. The languages of Tūvalu and Kiribati have also left their mark. Contact between Sāmoa, American Sāmoa, Tùvalu, Kiribati, and Tokelau over recent generations has strengthened these influences.
