Tongan fans around the world were inspired by its sports teams and athletes to keep their culture and language alive. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Tongan fans around the world were inspired by its sports teams and athletes to keep their culture and language alive. Photo / Brett Phibbs
The retention of Tongan language in Aotearoa isn't as good as it could be, but there is still a high rate of participation.
Having programmes and initiatives such as a dedicated language week, the Auckland Secondary Schools PolyFest, Tongan language options in school subjects, Tongan pre-schools - these things helplanguage and culture retention in the diaspora, in addition to learning in the home.
Perhaps one sector uncommonly noted for its contribution to language and culture is sports.
In regards to Tongans in Aotearoa, sport has contributed to the growth of Tongan language and culture participation.
High profile Tongan teams and athletes in the diaspora have elevated interests for Tongans born or raised outside of Tonga to engage in language and cultural practises.
Tonga Rugby League World Cup star Jason Taumalolo meets fans in Auckland in 2017. Photo / Doug Sherring
Positive role models in Tongan athletes - regardless of whether they speak the language or not - have inspired their fans.
These athletes have given the confidence to Tongan youth and first-generation Tongans to pick up the language in any capacity; nurturing their sense of belonging and maintaining a strong connection to their heritage.
The Sea of Red
This is one of the positives of sport - without ignoring its own complicated forms of nationhood often contradicting cultural identities.
At the 2011 Rugby World Cup in Aotearoa, the world saw the very first red sea of flags and the beginning of unapologetic mass display of cultural pride outside of Tonga.
Tongan fans after their team's stunning win over France during the Rugby World Cup in 2011 in Wellington. Photo / Paul Estcourt
Tongans here were celebrating their heritage and homeland through their national rugby team: 'Ikale Tahi.
Regardless of the sporting code, it kept its momentum in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup and right through to the same tournament in 2017 held in New Zealand.
Since then, interest in Tonga - the Kingdom, the language, the culture and her people -have steadily increased.
There has been an influx of children's books written in Tongan (or English) about Tongan warriors, athletes and their villages.
Sustaining and passing on the Tongan knowledge
More and more New Zealand-born Tongans are learning and living the Tongan language and culture through the platform of sport.
The shift of conventional language and culture learning from primarily home-base or in the classroom, has been helpful increasing and sustaining the Tongan language and culture in tu'a-Tonga (outside of Tonga).
This year's Tongan Language Week theme is: Sustaining the Tonga Language in Aotearoa.
To do this, we allow our language to evolve by building onto existing words while restoring archaic language.
We take away gate-keeping cultural identities to language so our children can live and learn them in different platforms.
But more importantly, it allows our children to genuinely care for our culture and language.
That's what really sustains language and culture - if you value it, you'll take care of it.
Tongan All Blacks and Black Ferns players and individuals such as Dame Valerie Adams and her siblings, the Tongan rugby League team, the 95 per cent of the Tongan diaspora and many more Tongans in Aotearoa have contributed to sustaining and growing our language and culture through the platform of sport.
And in doing so, supporting educational and traditional ways of passing on knowledge.
Caroline Matamua is a postgraduate student of Pacific Studies, Faculty of Arts, at the University of Auckland.
