This year's theme for Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa - Samoa Language Week is Fa’aāuāu le Folauga i le Va’a o Tautai - Continue the Voyage with Competent Wayfinders of the Ocean.
As part of this year’s overarching theme of ‘Sustainability’, the Samoan community chose a theme that would reflect the journey of language revitalisation and maintenance as well as recognising the importance of having the right tools, good leadership skills, relationships and the correct medium (va’a) that is adaptable to faring the ocean and its elements.
This year marks 12 years since Samoa Language Week has been celebrated in Aotearoa New Zealand. Following on from 2021, Samoa Language Week 2022 is led by three key organisations – FAGASA, Fotu ō Malama and SAASIA.
2022 is also a significant year for the Samoan community, being the 60th anniversary of Samoa Independence. Communities are organising activities to commemorate this milestone, which coincides with Samoa Language Week.
In launching this year's Samoa Language Week, Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio said that this year's event will be even more important as Samoa celebrates 60 years of independence, .
“This is the year of Samoa in the Pacific and we begin this week in Aotearoa with the celebration of ‘Le Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa’, Samoan Language week", he said.
Samoa has a unique historical relationship with New Zealand. It is the only nation that New Zealand has a Treaty of Friendship. The Treaty of Friendship between Samoa and New Zealand is about a commitment to partnership, friendship and a mutual endeavour to obtain for Tagata Samoa fuller opportunities for social progress. Language is critical in achieving this.
Below is a calendar of activities and events to be held throughout Aotearoa to embrace and celebrate Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa and the 60th Anniversary of Samoa Independence.
Stay connected online by visiting the official Gagana Samoa i Aotearoa Facebook page.
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Event |
Venue & Time |
Host |
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Sunday 29 May 2022 |
Sauniga Lotu Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa |
Papatoetoe High School 3.30 – 6.30pm |
Fotu o Malama |
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Service for Samoan Language Week. Fono to follow |
3.30pm Rotorua Pacific Islands Development Trust Office 1334 Hinemoa Street Rotorua |
Rotorua Samoan Community |
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Sauniga Amata – Opening Service |
Whakatu Presbyterian Church 5.00pm Nelson |
Faalapotopotoga Tagata Samoa Nelson Tasman |
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Tauvaga Lauga – Samoan speech Competition |
Whakatu Presbyterian Church 5.00pm Nelson |
Faalapotopotoga Tagata Samoa Nelson Tasman |
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Tauvaga Solo – Samoan Poem Competition |
Whakatu Presbyterian Church 5.00pm Nelson |
Faalapotopotoga Tagata Samoa Nelson Tasman |
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COMBINED SERVICE – OFFICIAL OPENING OF SAMOAN LANGUAGE WEEK & CELEBRATION OF SAMOA’S 60TH INDEPENDENCE |
EFKS Invercargill 9.30am - 6pm 135 Bowmont Street Invercargill |
THREE CHURCHES (AOG, EFKS & METHODIST) Invercargill
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Wellington Combined Church Service to celebrate the Samoa Language Week and Samoa 60th Anniversary Celebrations |
5.30pm - 8.00pm EKFS Church 197 Rata Street, Lower Hutt, Wellington |
Mafutaga Faifeau a Samoa i Ueligitone |
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Monday 30 May 2022 |
Lotu mo le tatalaina o polokalame a le SAASIA mo le Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa – Opening service for SAASIA Samoan language week |
EFKS Otahuhu (Live-streamed) |
SAASIA |
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Fofoga o le Laumua / Samoa Capital Radio Week of Events |
10am – 12pm Mon – Thurs 2pm – 4pm Fri Wellington |
Samoa Capital Radio |
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Opening Faigalotu, Ava Ceremony, Raising of the Flag |
Lakeview School 9.00am Lansdowne, Masterton |
Wairarapa Samoa Celebrations |
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Samoa Flag Raising |
8am – 9am Te Rauparaha Park Porirua, Wellington |
Porirua City Council and local Schools |
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Samoan Speech Competition |
12.00pm Makoura College Masterton |
Wairarapa Samoa Celebrations |
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Polokalame o le tatalaina o le Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa 2022 |
10am – 11am Level 2, Kelburn Library Victoria University Wellington |
Victoria University |
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Tuiga making workshop |
EFKS Invercargill 4pm – 8pm Invercargill |
Invercargill AOG, EFKS & Methodist churches |
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Ava Ceremony Celebration of Samoan Language Week |
Ti Kouka Haere Roa 10am – 12pm University of Canterbury Christchurch |
The Canterbury University Samoan Students Association
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Samoa Flag Raising Ceremony |
10am – 11am Hagley Ave Christchurch |
Hagley Community College |
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Speech Contest, Cooking, Sports, Flag Raising, Singing and Performances |
Sacred Heart College 65 Laings Road, Woburn Lower Hutt, Wellington |
Sacred Heart College |
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Tuesday 31 May 2022 |
SAASIA Aoga Amata Napier, Hastings, and Palmerston North programme |
(Pre-Recorded) |
SAASIA |
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Tuiga making workshop
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EFKS Invercargill 4pm – 7pm Invercargill |
Invercargill AOG, EFKS & Methodist churches |
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Ia Malamalama Aoga Amata performance |
10am – 2pm EFKS Palmerston North Westbrook, Palmerston North |
Ia Malamalama Aoga Amata |
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Wednesday 1 June 2022 |
SAASIA Aoga Amata Christchurch Programme |
(Pre-recorded) |
SAASIA |
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Lotu Fa’amanū o le 60 tausaga o le Tūto’atasi o Samoa – Service for the 60th anniversary of Samoa’s Independence |
7am – 9am Fale o Samoa, 141 Bader Drive Māngere, Auckland |
MPP, FAGASA, Fotu o Malama, SAASIA |
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Siva with Varns – Le Mau Production |
10am, 1pm, 4.30pm Masterton Theatre Masterton |
Wairarapa Samoa Celebrations |
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Samoa Speech Competition with Porirua and Hutt Valley Schools |
9.30am - 2pm Porirua College Porirua, Wellington |
Tautai o le Moana |
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Independence Lotu, hosted by Mayor Aaron Hawkins |
5 - 7pm First Church 415 Moray Place Central Dunedin |
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Pi Faitau Colouring Book Launch |
5.30pm DMC Building 2 Dundas Street, Level 1 Christchurch |
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Samoan High Commission 60th Independence Event |
6pm – 8pm Pipitea Marae Thorndon, Wellington |
Samoan High Commission |
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60th Anniversary of Independence commemoration and flag raising ceremony |
6.30pm Rotorua Methodist Church 187 Old Taupo Road Rotorua |
Rotorua Samoan Community |
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Thursday 2 June 2022 |
SAASIA Song & Poem competition |
(pre-recorded) |
SAASIA |
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Sports evening
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Invercargill |
Invercargill AOG, EFKS & Methodist churches |
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Felafolafoa’iga a Aoga Maualuluga |
4 - 8pm Otahuhu Town Hall Community Centre Otahuhu, Auckland |
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Samoa’s 60th Independence Anniversary and the 60th year of New Zealand’s Treaty of Friendship with Samoa |
7.30pm Food Court, University Union, University of Otago Dunedin |
Va’a o Tautai, University of Otago |
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Friday 3 June 2022 |
SAASIA Closing service |
Wellington |
SAASIA |
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Faafiafiaga mo Tama ma Tina Matutua - Event for the Elderly:
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1 – 5pm WINTEC Atrium Whitiora, Hamilton |
Waikato Samoa Celebrations |
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Samoa Language Week celebration |
11am – 1pm Waimataitai School Waimataitai, Timaru |
Multicultural Aoraki and FALCM Church |
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Fiafia Night – School Cultural Performances |
7.00pm Masterton Rec Centre Masterton |
Wairarapa Samoa Celebrations |
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Niusina A le Pasefika Dance & Performance Event |
11am – 3pm Monrad Intermediate School Palmerston North |
Nusina A le Pasefika Trust
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Marist Otago Samoa Independence Social (Fundraiser) |
From 6pm Southern Rugby Club Bathgate Park Helena street Forbury Corner Dunedin |
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Saturday 4 June 2022 |
March parade & Sisiga fu’a. Raising of the Flag & Ava Ceremony |
7.30am - Meet at Knox Street and walk down CBD to the HCC Civic Square 8.30am - Ceremony Service and Raising of Flag 9.30am – 11am Traditional Ava Ceremony Knox Street to HCC Civic Square Hamilton |
Waikato Samoa Celebrations |
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Tauvaga Faafiafiaga – Siva Samoa competition |
1 – 6pm Fraser High School Gymnasium Hamilton |
Waikato Samoa Celebrations |
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Samoan Independence Day 60th Celebration |
10am – 2pm Nelson Boys College Hall Nelson |
Faalapotopotoga Tagata Samoa Nelson Tasman |
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Le Lalelei o le Laumua – Ueligitone Dance Showcase |
6.00pm Elim Church Porirua |
Lalelei Collective (Tautua Dance, Anamua Fou Dance, Tofi o Tamatane Movement) |
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Samoan Independence Day 60th Celebration |
Malborough |
Samoan Community Marlborough |
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Samoan market day
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9.00am 135 Bowmont Street Invercargill |
Invercargill AOG, EFKS & Methodist churches |
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Samoan Independence Day 60th Celebration |
Time and venue TBC Closing Ceremony Rotorua |
Rotorua Samoan Community |
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| Samoan Independence Day 60th Celebration – Ava ceremony | Christchurch | Fono Faufautua Samoa Christchurch | |
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Sunday 5 June 2022 |
Church service of Thanksgiving:
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1 – 6pm Fraser High School Gymnasium Hamilton |
Waikato Samoa Celebrations |
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Monday 6 June 2022 |
Volleyball Tournament |
10am – 3pm Fraser High School Gymnasium Hamilton |
Waikato Samoa Celebrations |
Samoa Email signature - 700x100 px (PNG) - Download
Samoa computer desktop wallpaper - 1920x1080 px (PNG) - Download
Samoa Language Card - 6 pages, 600kb (PDF) - Download
Samoa Language Week Theme 2022:
Fa’aāuāu le Folauga i le Va’a o Tautai - Continue the Voyage with Competent Wayfinders of the Ocean (MP3) - Download
Simple greetings and phrases:
Hello (formal) - Talofa lava (MP3) - Download
How are you? (to one person) - O a mai oe (MP3) - Download
How are you? (to two people) - O a mai oulua (MP3) - Download
How are you? (to three or more people) - O a mai outou (MP3) - Download
Please - Faamolemole (MP3) - Download
Thank you - Fa'afetai (MP3) - Download
Goodbye - Tofa soifua (MP3) - Download
Happy Samoan Language Week - Manuia le vaiaso o le gagana Samoa - (MP3) - Download
Samoa Language Week Web banner (theme) - 1200 x 628 px (JPG) - Download
Samoa Language Week Web banner (blank) - 1200 x 628 px (JPG) - Download
Samoa Language Week Web banner (theme) - 2400 x 800 px (JPG) - Download
Samoa Language Week Web banner (blank) - 2400 x 800 px (JPG) - Download
Samoa Language Week blank Web banner - 1920 x 1080 px (JPG) - Download
Square Samoa Language Week 2022 tile - 1080x1080 px (PNG) - Download
Blank Square Samoa Language Week 2022 tile - 1080x1080 px (PNG) - Download
Rectangular Samoa Language Week 2022 tile (blank) - 1200x628 px (PNG) - Download
Rectangular Samoa Language Week 2022 tile (theme) - 1200x628 px (PNG) - Download
Theme story Samoa Language Week 2022 tile - 1920x1080 px (PNG) - Download
Square Samoa Language Week 2022 tile (no theme) - 1080x1080 px (PNG) - Download
Blank Square Samoa Language Week 2022 tile (no theme) - 1080x1080 px (PNG) - Download
One file containing all resources, including:
(8 MB Zip file) - Download
Below are recipients of funding for community contributions towards Samoa Language Week preparations in 2021:
|
Organisation/Group Name |
Location |
Approved Amount |
Language |
Initiative focus |
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Aiga Samoa Far North |
Kaitaia |
5,000.00 |
Gagana Samoa |
Language learning through church resources, cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, arts and craft, dance and music |
|
CCCS Youth |
Invercargill |
5,000.00 |
Gagana Samoa |
Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, arts and craft, dance and music |
|
FAGASA |
Auckland |
15,000.00 |
Gagana Samoa |
Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, arts and craft, dance and music |
|
Fotu O Mālama |
Auckland |
15,000.00 |
Gagana Samoa |
Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, arts and craft, dance and music |
|
Lorenzo Kaisara |
Auckland |
5,000.00 |
Gagana Samoa |
Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, arts and craft, dance and music |
|
SAASIA |
Auckland |
15,000.00 |
Gagana Samoa |
Language learning through cultural practices, oratory, storytelling, arts and craft, dance and music |
The Language Champion Honours is a new initiative which was introduced as part of the Pacific Language Weeks series 2021 and will be run every two years.
The Tautai and Tautua o le Gagana Awards recognise our language advocates from the Samoan community who have been acknowledged as role models for language revitalisation and preservation of Gagana Samoa in Aotearoa.
2021 Recipients:
Tautai o le Gagana Awards
Tautua o le Gagana Awards
