(Picture caption: The Atafu Tokelau Community Group perform at the 2022 Wellington Fatele Finale.)
Raising the profile of Tokelau as a realm country of New Zealand is a life-long dream of Zechariah Reuelu together with his beloved Tokelau communities.
Part of this dream is one day seeing Tokelau on the 6.50pm weather forecasts of televised news programmes such as 1 NEWS and Newshub.
Zechariah – a son and member of the Atafu Tokelau Community Group – has been in New Zealand for more than 60 years serving the largest population of Tokelauan people in Porirua.
Speaking to MPP earlier this year, Zechariah describes his passion for the culture of his late father’s homeland.
“Many New Zealanders are not aware that Tokelau, Niue and the Cook Islands are realm countries, and as part of that, we are New Zealand citizens,” Zechariah says.
“In fact, the most northern territory of New Zealand is Tokelau.
“One of the largest television viewings for weather is 1 NEWS, which can influence the narrative around the importance of our country to New Zealand.
“For many years, our people have asked; why is it that Tokelau is not on the weather map, if we are a New Zealand territory?
“The weather map on 1 NEWS covers the Chatham Islands, Stewart Island and the Pacific realm, but Tokelau is not part of that.
“As a Tokelauan son, speaking on behalf of all our Tokelauan elders who have gone before us, it will actually elevate the cultural well-being of our people and bring forth information about our unique country.”
Zechariah says major moves in recent years to have Tokelau recognised as an NCEA subject and establishing bilingual classes has certainly raised the cultural awareness of Tokelau.
This has resulted in bringing cultural wellness to Tokelauan kaiga/families, he says.
“Just having recognition of Tokelau on a weather map, in a non-traditional space, will allow our people to make an instant connection and further raise our profile.
As Tokelauan, we can see those benefits with our language becoming an NCEA subject, and having a bilingual unit set up at Glenview Primary School, Porirua.
“If we can empower our community here, then we will see tamana and leaders across NZ, Dunedin, Christchurch, Porirua, Hutt Valley, Palmerston North, Taupo, Rotorua and Auckland continue to rise up and use those opportunities to wave on behalf of Tokelau.”