Kav fak gagaj fak Rotuma
‘Amnäk ne gasav ne fäeag Rotuạm ta, la a‘pumuạ‘ạkia fäegat ne hele‘uen la peak pạu ‘e laloag ne rän te‘. Jacki Leota-Mua ne garue ‘e Te Papa ma kạutạunạ‘iạg Rotuạm ne Niusirạgi (NZRF group), hö‘ạkia ‘os a‘häe se ‘os ‘ạtmot ta Rotuma, ne fu sousou ‘e Fiti la hạila‘oag ma mäel tarạu fol ma saghul (500kms). ‘Oris ‘amnạki la sạkiroa rere ne foh kav fak Rotuma. Read more
Rotuman Language Week celebrates one of the rarest languages in the world. Public Programmes Specialist Jacki Leota-Mua and members of the Rotuman community transport us from the safety of our rāhui bubbles to Rotuma, 500 kilometres north of Fiji, to discover more about the island’s kava ceremonies.Read more
As it’s Māori Language Week, we asked people from around Te Papa to share their favourite te reo Māori kupu (word). We want to hear what yours is too!Read more
‘The first time a baby was born in this country, te reo Māori was the language; the first time lovers fell in love, and fell out of love, te reo Māori was the language; the first time conflict occurred and was resolved, te reo Māori was the language.’ Dr Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal shares his kōrero about the value of te reo Māori in Aotearoa.Read more
In our daily behind the scenes work we use agile methodology and te reo – but we can always do better. Reo Māori Writer Ranea Aperahama worked with the team driving agile throughout Te Papa to come up with the reo interpretations.Read more
Curator Pacific Cultures Rachel Yates takes a look at the book Slavers in Paradise, and a lesser-known episode of Cook Islands and Pacific history.Read more
Austin Wang was born in Auckland but his family comes from Shenyang city in China. They speak Mandarin at home, and the family’s Chinese heritage is an important part of their busy life. Austin hears and speaks Mandarin at home all the time, but the challenge to teach him toRead more
This week is Niue Language Week 2014. In this post, guest blogger Salote Talagi writes about kahoa hihi – beautiful shell necklaces from Niue. Materials and manufacture The kahoa hihi is a neck garland (kahoa) made from strings of tiny, distinctively yellow snail (hihi) shells. It is an iconic itemRead more
This week to celebrate Tuvalu language week 2014 we have shared a few highlights from our collection on Instagram including a pair of taka (reef sandals). In Tuvalu taka were more than a fashion statement, for some they were a necessity. Tuvalu is a low-lying island group made up of four reef islandsRead more
Fakatalofa atu! This week is Tuvalu language week 2014 and the theme is Tuvalu ko tou lagaifakalaga ke mau mai aulua foe: Your language keeps your culture and identity afloat, continue to work together. The Papa’s Pacific Cultures collections have around 195 artefacts associated with Tuvalu, including fishing gear, fans,Read more
Māori Language Week 2014! To celebrate the Te Papa Education team offered teachers something new, as 37 teachers from all over Wellington, ranging from ECE to intermediate school, joined together to grow and support Te Reo Māori in the classroom. We played a range of kēmu to get the blood and the brain pumping,Read more
In honour of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, here are a number of kupu Māori (Māori words) that I constantly use in my everyday mahi/work as a curator at Te Papa, and especially in my research for the First World War exhibition we are presently developing. Many of the sources written inRead more
For many of New Zealand’s indigenous plants, the Māori name is the ‘common’ name, and English names are rarely, if ever, used; think rimu, tōtara, kauri, pōhutukawa, and mamaku. Other species have both Māori and English names, but it is the latter that is predominant, at least in my experience.Read more
“Taofi mau i au measina: Hold fast to your treasures” is the theme for Sāmoan language week 2014. Indeed, looking after cultural treasures is a significant part of Te Papa’s role in the community. We develop collections of cultural artefacts from the ordinary to the extraordinary, from the very old to theRead more
Theme: Fakakoloa ‘o Aotearoa ‘aki ‘etau lea mo e hiva faka-Tonga. Enriching Aotearoa with our language and Tongan music. In this final blogpost for Tongan language week we have another guest contribution from the Tongan community. It is written by Kolokesa Mahina-Tuai who was a former Pacific Cultures curator atRead more
