Samoan Independence Day celebrated to cap off language week

Early childhood centre Born and Raised Pasifika used Samoan Language Week as an opportunity to celebrate a special day in Samoa's history.

The centre started Friday off by raising the Samoan flag and celebrating Saturday's Samoan Independence Day.

Throughout Samoan Language Week the centre's children have eaten Samoan food, made siapo paintings and patterns, learnt about legends and traditional dance, and played games based around Samoan culture.

The learning centre invited Love and Learn Child Care and Tawhero's Pasifika Learning Centre to Friday's language week celebrations.

"It's about embracing diversity and celebrating different cultures within our community, in Whanganui the council has got a wonderful welcoming communities pilot programme that's running," manager Helen Puhipuhi said.

"For Samoan Language Week, respecting the language and culture and celebrating it because they are the biggest group nationally for Pacific Islanders."

Puhipuhi said the centre enjoys celebrating Samoan Language Week but they also teach identity, language and culture year round.

"For Born and Raised Pasifika and Pasifika Learning Centre it's just part and parcel of our daily practice, they do prayers and hymns which is led by our Samoan educators.

"The children are amazing because not all our children are Samoan but they just embrace it and absorb it so well, it's just heartening to see."