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Te Vaiaho o te Gagana Tokelau - Tokelau Language Week

Te Vaiaho o te Gagana Tokelau - Tokelau Language Week

Celebrate: 25 - 31 October 2026

The 2026 theme for Tokelau Language Week is "Ke mauaka taku gagana Tokelau i taku aganuku" - My language is enriched and strengthened by my culture. 

Resources, including social media graphics and posters, are now available.

 

Calendar of Events 2026

Date

Event

 

Time & Venue

Host

Sunday 25 October

Launch Tokelau Language Week 

– Opening Lotu / Flag Raising  

12:30pm-3:30pm

Otago Polytechnic Hub: Forth Street, Dunedin 9016  

 

Tokelau Community Dunedin Society

 

 

Date

Event/Activity 

Time & Venue

Host

Monday 26 October

Flag Raising Ceremony 

10am- 4:00pm 

16 Clendon Street 
Naenae, Lower Hutt 5011, New Zealand 

 

Te Umiumiga A Tokelau Hutt Valley 

 

Date

Event

 

Time & Venue

Host

Tuesday 27 October

Heritage Arts and Cultural Day  

10:00am- 4:00pm 

St Bernadettes Church Hall  

194 Naenae Rod, Lower Hutt  

Nukunonu Wellington Community  

Tuesday 27 October

Fatele Workshop/ Practice  

6:00pm- 8:00pm

Te Fale Afolau 

12 Matiu Close, Elsdon 

 

Te Kaiga Fakaofo Tokelau i Ueligitone Inc 

Tuesday 27 October

Tokelau Language, Identity & Cultural Workshop 

Carisbrook School Hall: 217 South Road, Caversham, Dunedin 901 

 

Tokelau Community Dunedin Society

 

Date

Event

 

Time & Venue

Host

Wednesday 28 October

Tokelau Arts and Crafts Workshops 

 

6:00pm - 8:00pm

 

Te Fale Afolau 

12 Matiu Close, Elsdon 

Te Kaiga Fakaofo Tokelau i Ueligitone Inc

Date

Event

 

Time & Venue

Host

Thursday 29 October

Traditional Foe Workshop  

12:00pm- 8:00pm  

Te Fale Afolau 

12 Matiu Close, Elsdon 

 

Te Kaiga Fakaofo Tokelau i Ueligitone Inc

Thursday 29 October

Traditional Foe Workshop 

6:00pm- 8:00pm 

Te Fale Afolau 

12 Matiu Close, Elsdon 

 

Te Kaiga Fakaofo Tokelau i Ueligitone Inc

Date

Event

 

Time & Venue

Host

Friday 30 October

Quiz and Games Night

6:00pm

Carisbrook School Hall: 217 South Road, Caversham, Dunedin 9012.  

Tokelau Community Dunedin Society

Date

Event

 

Time & Venue

Host

Saturday 31 October

Tokelau Wellington Fatele and Celebration Day  

10:00am-5:00pm

Te Rauparaha Aena  

17 Parumoana Street, Porirua City Center

Wellingtons Leaders Group  

Saturday 31 October

Tokelau Language Week Closing Celebration 

10.00am-3:00pm

Otago Polytechnic Hub: Forth Street, Dunedin 9016

Tokelau Community Dunedin Society 

 

Tokelau Language Week Funding Recipients

Below are recipients of funding for community contributions towards Tokelau Language Week preparations in 2026:

Organisation/Group Name

Location

Approved Amount

Language

Tokelau Kei Ola Hastings Hastings $2,000 Te Gagana Tokelau
Tokelau Wellington Leaders Group Wellington  $6,000 Te Gagana Tokelau
Te Kaiga Fakaofo Tokelau i Ueligitone Inc Wellington  $5,000 Te Gagana Tokelau
Te Umiumiga A Tokelau Hutt Valley Incorporated Wellington  $7,000 Te Gagana Tokelau
Auckland Tokelau Society Inc Auckland  $13,740 Te Gagana Tokelau
Atafu Tokelau Community Group Incorporated Wellington  $5,000 Te Gagana Tokelau
Nukunonu Tokelau Society Wellington Inc. Wellington  $5,000 Te Gagana Tokelau
Tokelau Community Dunedin Society Dunedin $6,260 Te Gagana Tokelau

Below are recipients of funding for community contributions towards Tokelau Language Week preparations in 2025:

Organisation/Group Name

Location

Approved Amount 

Language

Te Umiumiga A Tokelau Hutt Valley Incorporated Wellington  $15,000

Te Gagana Tokelau

Tokelau Community Dunedin Society Dunedin  $4,000 Te Gagana Tokelau
Tokelau Kei Ola Hastings Hastings $3,600 Te Gagana Tokelau
Nukunonu Tokelau Society Wellington Inc. Wellington  $7,700 Te Gagana Tokelau
Te Kaiga Fakaofo Tokelau i Ueligitone Inc Wellington  $10,000 Te Gagana Tokelau
Auckland Tokelau Society Inc Auckland  $9,700 Te Gagana Tokelau

Below are recipients of funding for community contributions towards Tokelau Language Week preparations in 2024:

Organisation/Group Name

Location

Approved Amount 

Language

Initiative focus

Auckland Tokelau Society Inc

Auckland

$10,000

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through Cultural and traditional practices.

Tokelau Community Dunedin Society

Dunedin

$5,760

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through music, Conversational classes, Dance, Cultural and Traditional practices, Oratory, Arts and Craft, Creating resources and Health, Sports and Fitness and Wellbeing.

Te Kaiga Fakaofo Ueilgitone Inc

 

$4,800

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through Arts and Crafts, Conversational classes, Dance, Cultural and Traditional practices, Church resources and Oratory.

Nukunonu Tokelau Society Wellington Inc

Wellington

$8,150

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through music, Conversational classes, Dance, Cultural and Traditional practices, Oratory, Arts and Craft, Creating resources and Health and Wellbeing.

Te Umuimiga A Tokelau Ganaga Tokelau

  $8,000 Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through conversational classes

Tokelau Wellington Leadership Group

Wellington

$6,440

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through traditional dance and music and community awareness events.

Mafutaga Tokelau I Manawatu

Manawatu $12,000 Te Gagana Tokelau

Launch of Tokelau Language week, Language learning through conversational classes.

Tokelau Wairarapa Community Group

Wairarapa $1,000 Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through community awareness events

Below are recipients of funding for community contributions towards Tokelau Language Week preparations in 2023:

Organisation/Group Name

Location

Approved Amount 

Language

Initiative focus 

Fakaofo Community Rotorua Bay of Plenty $3,400

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through digital/online learning, traditional dance, arts and crafts, and music

Auckland Tokelau Society incorporated Auckland $11,150

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through dance and music

Tokelau Wellington Leadership Group Wellington $8,600

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through traditional dance, community awareness events, oratory, and music

Nukunonu Tokelau Wellington Society Incorporated Wellington $12,600

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through music, digital/online learning, traditional dance, arts and crafts, oratory, and community awareness events

Matua Tokelau Hutt Valley Wellington $2,200

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through digital/online learning, traditional dance, arts and crafts, oratory, community awareness events, and music

Te Kaiga o Fakaofo i Ueligitone Incorporated Wellington $1,500

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through oratory, and traditional dance

Mafutaga Tokelau i Manawatu (MTiM) Manawatu $3,020

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through geneology, traditional costume making, story telling and learning traditonal song and dance

Tokelau Community Dunedin Society Otago $5,250

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through traditional dance, oratory and music

Atafu Tokelau Community Group Inc Wellington $2,000

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through Fatele workshops, traditional performances and storytelling.

Below are recipients of funding for community contributions towards Tokelau Language Week preparations in 2022:

Organisation/Group Name

Location

Approved Amount 

Language

Initiative focus

Tokelau Wellington Leadership Group

Wellington

12,000.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through oratory, community awareness events, digital/online learning and traditional dance

Auckland Tokelau Society incorporated

Auckland

11,750.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through arts and craft, traditional dance, digital/online learning, music and oratory

Nukunonu Tokelau Society Wellington Incorporated

Wellington

10,000.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through oratory, digital/online learning, arts and crafts, community awareness events, traditional dance, music and history and culture

Tokelau Community Dunedin Society

Dunedin

5,600.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through oratory, traditional dance, music, arts and crafts and community awareness events

Fakaofo Rotorua Community

Bay of Plenty

5,000.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through music, digital/online learning, traditional dance, arts and crafts and cooking traditional food

Tokelau Hawkes Bay

Hawkes Bay

4,775.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through traditional dance, music, oratory, arts and crafts and community awareness events

Te Kaiga Fakaofo I Ueligitone Incorporated

Wellington

3,540.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through traditional costume making and arts and crafts

Mafutaga Tokelau i Manawatu

Manawatu

2,000.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through traditional dance, music, community awareness events, oratory, arts and crafts and digital/online learning

Below are recipients of funding for community contributions towards Tokelau Language Week preparations in 2021:

Organisation/Group Name

Location

Approved Amount 

Language

Initiative focus

Auckland Tokelau Society Incorporated (ATSI)

Auckland

10,950.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, dance and music

Mafutaga a te Kaifenua Tokelau i Rotorua

Rotorua

5,000.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, arts and craft, dance and music

Mafutaga Tokelau i Manawatu (MTiM)

Palmerston North

6,500.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, cooking, arts and craft, dance and music

Matiti Tokelau Akoga Kamata

Wellington

5,000.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, and poems

Nukunonu Tokelau Wellington Society Incorporated

Wellington

5,720.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, arts and craft, dance and music

PACIFICA Inc. Wellington Central Branch

Wellington

3,000.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, arts and craft, dance and music

Taupo Tokelau Community

Taupo

9,469.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, arts and craft, intergenerational passing knowledge from Elders to young people, dance and music

Te Kaiga Fakaofo I Ueligitone Inc

Wellington

3,500.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through cultural practices, dance and music

Tokelau Community Christchurch

Christchurch

500.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through events

Tokelau Hawkes Bay

Napier

2,000.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, arts and craft, dance and music

Victoria University Tokelau Student Association

Wellington

3,050.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, arts and craft, dance and music

Whaitu A Tokelau Dunedin

Dunedin

4,950.00

Te Gagana Tokelau

Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, and storytelling