Today marks the end of Samoan Language Week, and for the students and teachers of The Aoga Amata preschool in Invercargill, it’s been a full on but exciting week to celebrate the Samoan culture and teachings within the community.

The preschool is the first multi-lingual pre-school to be established in New Zealand and the first licensed Pacific early childhood centre in the South Island. 

It teaches lessons in English and Samoan and bases its core philosophy on teaching the Samoan language, culture, and values to give children the opportunity to connect with and learn about Samoa’s rich culture.  

Maele Seau teaches Samoan at the school and is the first ex-Samoan student to return as a teacher. 

She was born in New Zealand and said it was through the opportunity to learn Samoan values at the pre-school that enabled her to strengthen her Samoan cultural identity.

The pre-school programme is based on the New Zealand curriculum and the Fale Tele structure of Pasifika teaching and learning, which focuses on the three integral Samoan values of fa-aaloalo (respect), tautua (Service) and alofa (love).

She said many Samoans who were born in New Zealand didn’t have the same opportunity to learn these values in as much depth as they would have in Samoa.

“It’s sad in a way knowing that we have many Samoan kids who are growing up not connecting with their culture,” Ms Seau said, adding that it was important for them to have a place to explore them. 

According to Stats NZ, the number of Pacific peoples living in Southland has increased. Today they make up 2.6 % of the total Southland population, but only 0.4% of the total Southland population speak Samoan.

So, for teachers at Aoga Amata preschool, celebrating Samoan Language Week is an important opportunity to re-vitalise the language and culture and pass it on to others. 

“The majority of our students are made up European and Maori, and then other Pacific Island ethic groups… but we’ve had awesome feedback from families saying that their kids are taking the values and lessons home and they really feel that sense of family and culture at the pre-school,” Ms Seau said. 

The theme for this year’s Samoan Language Week is 'Tapena sou ōso mo lau malaga', which in English means 'Prepare yourself a gift for your travels'. 

In celebration of Samoan Language Week, Ms Seau said the pre-school has been taking students through an array of cultural activities.

Teachers have provided traditional Samoan food which they made at the pre-school and gifted to the children.

They have also been busy with arts and crafts, teaching the children Samoan stencilling techniques and making traditional art and symbols, such as the Samoan flag and the Samoan fales and fu'a.

The children have been learning numerous Samoan songs and dances, traditional and modern songs about daily life, as well as learning their abc’s and numbers in Samoan.

She said the pre-school was fortunate to have the week opened with a devotion and blessing from local minister Reverend Lole Fiso, whose son also celebrated his fifth birthday at the pre-school.

“This week the minister’s son turned five, so we had a big celebration.” 

“It was the first traditional cultural birthday that we’ve had.”

She said the fifth birthday was a very special celebration for a child as it was the age that they left the pre-school to attend primary school. 

Mrs Kahealani Fiso, supports the pre-school with her husband Reverend Lole Fiso when it holds special events, such as Samoan Language Week, but during the day they devote their time to Samoan Congregational Christian Church of Samoa.

Reverand Fiso runs church services and he and Mrs Fiso both teach Sunday school. Mrs Fiso also helps run the youth group on Fridays. 

She said even though their church was very small and “lives on very little”, they were all about giving as this was the Samoan way. 

One way they do this is speaking mainly in Samoan at church to give congregants the gift of their heritage and encourage them to learn the language.

“We only use Samoan bibles and we get the kids to read [the scriptures] in Samoan – they're really good at it too!” she said. 

“Because a lot of our people are moving out of Samoa, we don't want them to forget their identity. We truly believe our culture is a gift from God and we must hold onto it."

On Monday (June 1) Samoans all over the world will be celebrating Samoan Independence Day.

The country achieved its independence from New Zealand in 1962.

View Reverend Lole Fiso's video below: