Leading advocate for Vagahau Niue, Tofa Robertina (Tina) O’Halloran, has been recognised as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her service to education and the Niue community.
A respected educator, author, and long-time champion of Vagahau Niue (the Niue language), Tina is one of five Pacific community members nominated by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples for this year’s honours.
For more than 60 years, Tina has dedicated herself to teaching Vagahau Niue, ensuring the language remains strong for future generations. As one of the first Niue teachers in Aotearoa primary schools, she has championed language as a vital link to culture, identity, and belonging.
“I feel privileged and honoured to be one of the recipients of a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit,” she says. “For me, it’s a duty as Tagata Niue to find ways to keep Vagahau Niue alive. Developing resources that support the learning of our young people has always been important to me – our language connects us to who we are.”
Tina has led community language classes, volunteered countless hours with local and national groups and trusts such as the Vagahau Niue Trust, Vagahau Niue Talanoa Group, Hulaaga Vagahau Niue, Lalaga Fakatupuola Moui and Niue Writers Club, and supported cultural initiatives that have strengthened the visibility of Vagahau Niue across Aotearoa.
Her recent work includes contributing to a Niue thesaurus and supporting the development of educational learning tools with the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, including Ponataki and Haia: An Introduction to Vagahau Niue, ensuring tagata Niue can access their language through modern digital platforms.
As one of the first Niue language advisors for Polyfest, Tina helped elevate Niue representation at Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s largest Pacific cultural festival, giving young people a platform to celebrate their cultural heritage with pride.
Tina’s lifelong service reflects the Ministry for Pacific Peoples’ priority to revitalising Pacific languages and honours the contribution of Pacific leaders who give so generously to their communities. Her work continues to strengthen the future of Vagahau Niue in Aotearoa.