What does it mean to be Tuvaluan in Auckland? Community Coordinator & Guest Kaiako at Auckland Museum, Kelesoma Saloa explores the experience Tuvaluans face of finding belonging in Aotearoa without losing their identity, culture and language.

Tino Tuvalu i Aukilani

Tino Tuvalu i Aukilani

Ko oi matou nei?

Mea nei se fesili e fakapulele mai faeloa i te mafaufau ia matou kola ne malaga mai nisi fenua.  Kafai e kilo matou ki tino i motou tafa i konei Aukilani, e nofo faeloa matou o mafaufau ki te tulaga o matou i loto i te tokoukega o vaega tino valevale.  Kofea matou i loto nei, e ofi matou i fea i loto nei?

Te tamana o taku avaga, oku faka-tamana, faka-matua ne faimalaga mai katoa i te 1980 pela me ne tino galue i galuega fakafeagaiga i te vasia o te Maloo Niu SIla mo te Maloo Tuvalu ke mafai o fesoasoani kae fakamaua ne tino galue i koga faite mea mo tino fai fatoaga.  Ne mafaufau aka latou te fakatagi ke maua ne lotou nofo mau i luga nei kae aumai olotou kāiga o kamata se olaga fou i konei ona me lavea ne latou avanoaga e uke mo lotou fanau ke atiake olotou mafai ka eke fai ne olaga manuia me latou i aso mai mua.  E uke tino Tuvalu ne faimalaga mai i avanoaga konei, ka ko nisi tino ne toe foki ki Tuvalu.

 

Image: Kelesoma selecting ili (fans) to go on display at Tāmaki Paenga Hira.

Kaiga Tuvalu ne faimalaga foki mai niisi feitu ote Pasefika pela mo Naalu, tela ne lasi te avanoaga galuega ite keliiga ote one, tela ite taimi ne fano ei o palele, ate fenua o Niusila ne mata lasi tena fakalataaga ite lasi o avanoaga iloa te fenua tonu ko Tuvalu.  Ne Ne mafaufau ake me lei atu te sala sala atu ki Aukilani tela ko isi ne kaiga kola ko nofo toka ke mafai o fesoasoani kite nonofo tela ko mafai iei o se fakamataku te faimalaga.  Tiga te foki ki Tuvalu se avanoaga e tonu ke toe mafuta mo kaiga, a galuega e se uke kae ko Niu Sila se avanoaga tela e faigata kae e aumai ne ia fakamoemoega ke mafai o umeke kiei moemitiiga.

Se pela mo niisi tuakoi Pasefika o tatou, a tou kaiga Tuvalu faa too faimalaga mai ki Niusila nei i te 1980s mo te 1990s mai te fesoasoani o te galuega-fakakafeagaiga, (ite vaa o NZ & malo Tuvalu), tela ne mafai iei a kaiga o fakafonu olotou pepa ke maua avanoaga ke nofo tumau kae galue.  Mai kona ko taimi fou nei ne fakamatala te auala ke mafai o uke kaiga e faimalaga mai ite avanoaga ote PAC (Pacific Access Category visa) tela mo tino Tuvalu se avanoaga ke filifili ki ei ona ko te pokotiaga o Tuvalu mai te mafulifuliga o tau o aso.

 

Image (L-R): Former Tuvalu Prime Minister, Honorable Willy Telavi and wife; Former Minister of Home Affairs Honorable Pelenike Isaia; and Former Secretary to Government, Panapasi Nelesone. Taken outside the Government Meeting House, In front of the Main Government Building in Tuvalu in 2012.

Mai mea fou kola e faigata ona ko te kesekesega o fenua (te uke o mauga, fale, lakau), te kese o te tau o te aso (pela mo te moko o te matagi kae fai mai ko te tau vela), te kese o te gagana (te makini o tino faipati fakapalagi), meakai faka-tatou e mai i sitoa (talo, fuamei, ika, togi mafa), lasi kii loa te kese o tuu mo faifaiga, kae fanofano malielie, a tatou pela me se putukau Polinisia o kamata o iloa a faifaiga kesekese ite gasologa o aso.  Mai te olaga tela e ola te tino ki mea ola mai tona fenua ki se olaga tela a tino e ola ki sene, se aumai ne ia se olaga maumea tela e tai fakamataku ki tou tino aua ko te taumafai o ola ki se olaga tela e lasi te kese mo te olaga tela i fenua foliki ne aumai ei latou.  E foliki te iloa i fakanofoga o tulafono, mea tau maumea, faifaiga tino mo olotou olaga kae maise la iei te lasi te kesekesega i tuu mo aganuu.  E taumata matou ki motou feitu kae lavea ne matou a taina mo tuagaene mai niisi fenua o te Pasefika kola ko oti ne fai Niusila mo olotou fenua – aunoa mo te galo o olotou iloga, tuu mo te gana – e fiafia kae ola fiafia, a matou e talitonu me mafai foki ne matou.

 

Image: Niutao Community Trust youth at Auckland War Memorial Museum in 2017.

Ate malaga a tatou o aalo te vaka e seai se gata maiga, tiga me i luga i galu o te vasa ateatea io me i uta i te kauone o Aukilani, ka tauave faeloa ne matou a Tuvalu i omotou loto.  Pela loa mo te taua i te tautai o ana mea faika i loto i tena faoga (tuluma) e fakatakato foki ei a koloa taua mo omotou tupulaga gasolo.

Koi la matou?  Matou ko tino Tuvalu kola ko nofo nei i omotou koganofo fou – Niusila.  Se koga tela koi akoako matou o taku me ko omotou koga nofo tumau, ka koi taumafai matou o sala se tulaga nofogamalie i te vaka folau o i te faigamalaga a tino Polinisia.

 

Image: Kelesoma's son, Tauia playing rugby in Aotearoa in 2013.

 

Tuvaluans in Auckland
ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Tuvaluans in Auckland

Who are we?

This is a question that we as a migration group constantly ask ourselves unconsciously. As we look at our neighbors here in Auckland, we find ourselves in admiration of a diversified canvas where we search for our niche. Where are we in here, where do we fit in here?

My father in-law, uncles and aunties came here in the late 1980s as part of a work-scheme between Tuvalu and New Zealand to support and cater for the labour force in the industrial and agricultural sectors. They decided to apply for permanent residence and bring their families over to start anew as they saw endless opportunities for their children to develop their potential and create better futures for themselves. So many other Tuvaluans migrated through this opportunity, while others returned to Tuvalu.

 

Image: Kelesoma selecting ili (fans) to go on display at Tāmaki Paenga Hira.

Tuvalu families also came from other parts of the Pacific such as Nauru, where work flourished under the phosphate mining which, when depleted, the land of the long white cloud seemed more tempting in terms of more opportunities than the mother land of Tuvalu. It made more sense to seek Auckland where there was family already established to help with the move and therefore it seemed less daunting. Even though the return to Tuvalu was in fact an opportunity to be with extended family again, work there was scarce and New Zealand was a challenge that gave hope for dreams to develop.

Unlike our other Polynesian neighbours, our Tuvalu families have been migrating to New Zealand only from the 1980s and 1990s with the support of the work-scheme, where families applied for permanent residency while working. Then the new millennium paved the way for more families to migrate through the PAC (Pacific Access Category visa) scheme which for Tuvaluans was an option needed due to the impacts in Tuvalu of climate change.

 

Image (L-R): Former Tuvalu Prime Minister, Honorable Willy Telavi and wife; Former Minister of Home Affairs Honorable Pelenike Isaia; and Former Secretary to Government, Panapasi Nelesone. Taken outside the Government Meeting House, In front of the Main Government Building in Tuvalu in 2012.

With the new challenges of a different landscape (so many hills, houses, trees), different temperature (such a cold breeze and it’s meant to be summer), different language (they speak English so fast), island food from shops (taro, breadfruit, fish, quite expensive), so much culture shock, but slowly and gradually we as a Polynesian group are adapting and changing with the turning tides of time. Coming from a subsistence setting to a commercialized society poses a socio-economic threat to our people as they try to live a life that is so different to the life in the islands. We knew little about the laws, the economy, social interactions and most importantly a diverse culture. As we look to our side and see our brothers and sisters from other parts of the Pacific that have made New Zealand their homes - without losing their identity, culture and language - are happy and thriving, we have faith that we can too.

 

Image: Niutao Community Trust youth at Auckland War Memorial Museum in 2017.

Our journey to paddle the canoe is never-ending, whether it be on the waves of the lonely sea or on the shores of Auckland, we will always carry our Tuvalu in our hearts. Just like the fisherman’s treasures in a faoga (watertight wooden box), there lies within our precious items for our next generation.

Who are we? We are Tuvaluans now living in our new home – New Zealand. A place that we are learning to call home, as we try to find our niche in the vaka of the great Polynesian migration.

 

Image: Kelesoma's son, Tauia playing rugby in New Zealand in 2013.