AUT celebrates Tonga Language Week
This week Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e lea faka-Tonga – Tonga Language Week is being celebrated across Aotearoa, with the theme: Ko 'etau lea, ko e fe’unu mahu’inga ia ki he mo’ui ‘a e Tonga - our language is a vital strand of our Tongan culture.
As part of the university’s celebration, AUT PhD candidate, researcher, and practitioner Sia Ngata shares how she grounds her work and way as a Tongan.
Sia says the idea of a strand resonates with her research and practice in craft and textile making, where contemporary ngatu (tapa cloth) and garment making serve as spaces to weave together knowledge, identity, and creative expression.
"Being Tongan is at the heart of everything I do. Ko 'etau lea, ko e fe’unu mahu’inga ia ki he mo’ui ‘a e Tonga – our language is a vital strand of our Tongan culture. Very much like our traditional cloth, our words are layered. I look at our words as knowledge vessels.
“One thing I’ve realised is that packed into our words we have our relationships and respect for one another, which is really important because within my research I want to make sure that everyone and everything is respected. And that’s why it’s important to me to utilise Lea Faka Tonga within my research,” says Sia.
Uike Lea Faka-Tonga 2025 is the sixth instalment of the University’s Pacific language video series for 2025. The videos are a celebration of the power of language and culture and feature our students and alumni.
Through their stories, the many ways in which language is a vital component of cultural identity is evident, along with the ways our students and alumni have implemented it into their daily lives.
Tongan greetings and other resources for Uike Lea Faka-Tonga 2025, including email signatures and printable posters, are available on the website of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.