Latest news with #Tauanu'u
Scoop
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
A Chief's Children's Book Weaves Fa'amatai And Proverbs
Article – RNZ 'I didn't want the children to miss out on the richness of the values.' Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai While many childrens books are written in Samoan, Alagā'upu Fa'asamoa ma Uiga mo Tamaiti may be the first to bring fa'amatai (the chiefly system) and traditional proverbs into a story made for young readers. Authored by a renowned teacher and language and cultural expert in Aotearoa, Tauanu'u Perenise Tapu Sitagata, the book is written in Gagana Samoa (Samoan language) and English. The launch was led by his children and grandchildren with support from Auckland Council and Auckland Library. 'I didn't want the children to miss out on the richness of the values,' Tauanu'u said. 'Values about church, about family relationships, about brother and sister, about existing together, about helping each other. 'There's one that goes e lele lava le toloa ae maau i le vai – the bird flies, but will always go back to water because it's sustenance and it helps them in everyday life. 'Wherever we go, we always come back to our families. It is our home, and it is where we learned at an early age, and it is where we learned all the values that we have in life. So that's why those are the cornerstones of Samoan language and culture – the family, the church, the parents, relationship between people, respect. Try to capture in these sayings and these proverbs.' The book is brought to life by vibrant illustrations that mirror village life. 'I was familiar with the words – the pictures really enhanced what the words were saying,' the author explained. 'The skill of the artist is they asked me, 'What do you want to show in the pictures?' and I think the artist created something even more. 'We go back to the visuals of our path; the visuals of the family sitting around; the visuals of the parents talking to the children; the visuals of the church in the background where everyone goes.' Initially, the author said he viewed the project as 'just another book,' but soon realised there was little available for younger generations. 'Now it comes to me – my calling is to write for young people, from five to 18 or five to 20 or wherever. It's got to be in both languages, just to expose the richness of our language to our young people.' Tauanu'u stressed that while many Samoan youth are growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand, they still see traditional values. 'They still see the care and love of the parents. They still see the strictness that goes with, 'You are important. You're going to go to church and keep an upright life. You're going to go to school and you're going to learn, nothing else'. 'Sometimes young people don't go to church and they question the relevance. But somewhere along life, there's an experience will bring you back to the anchoring of your life – the support network of family, the support network of faith. 'Maybe we put too much emphasis on a nice house, a nice car. But some of the greatest people live in very simple houses. And everyone goes there because they get a laugh, they get food.' Oratia Publishing representative Peter Dowling said while this was a project that communicates Samoan values and the traditions, 'the morals, the values that are communicated are universal, and that's one of the beautiful things about this book'. 'It's a long-cherished dream of ours to have more books and creating more books in different languages that represent the communities of Aotearoa, especially Gagana Samoa and other Pasifika languages where there has been a dearth of resources.' Project lead from the Auckland Libraries Veronica Ligaliga said the first person that came to mind for this book was Tauanu'u. 'This project was an opportunity for us to give back to the community,' she told the launch attendees. 'I wanted to create content that will not only honour Tauanu'u's contribution to the success of the debate, but a book that will become part of the local history of Tāmaki Makaurau. 'It's about creating connected communities from inside out. Auckland Council libraries is committed to increasing the representation of Pasifika languages and cultures in their collections, and this project is just another one of them.' Students were also present to support Tauanu'u, where they performed traditional siva Samoa.. One student they were grateful that they got to experience this alongside him, while another said they were happy to see him finally acknowledged and on a big stage too. Samoa Language Week finishes on Saturday.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
A Chief's Children's Book Weaves Fa'amatai And Proverbs
Article – RNZ 'I didn't want the children to miss out on the richness of the values.' Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai While many childrens books are written in Samoan, Alagā'upu Fa'asamoa ma Uiga mo Tamaiti may be the first to bring fa'amatai (the chiefly system) and traditional proverbs into a story made for young readers. Authored by a renowned teacher and language and cultural expert in Aotearoa, Tauanu'u Perenise Tapu Sitagata, the book is written in Gagana Samoa (Samoan language) and English. The launch was led by his children and grandchildren with support from Auckland Council and Auckland Library. 'I didn't want the children to miss out on the richness of the values,' Tauanu'u said. 'Values about church, about family relationships, about brother and sister, about existing together, about helping each other. 'There's one that goes e lele lava le toloa ae maau i le vai – the bird flies, but will always go back to water because it's sustenance and it helps them in everyday life. 'Wherever we go, we always come back to our families. It is our home, and it is where we learned at an early age, and it is where we learned all the values that we have in life. So that's why those are the cornerstones of Samoan language and culture – the family, the church, the parents, relationship between people, respect. Try to capture in these sayings and these proverbs.' The book is brought to life by vibrant illustrations that mirror village life. 'I was familiar with the words – the pictures really enhanced what the words were saying,' the author explained. 'The skill of the artist is they asked me, 'What do you want to show in the pictures?' and I think the artist created something even more. 'We go back to the visuals of our path; the visuals of the family sitting around; the visuals of the parents talking to the children; the visuals of the church in the background where everyone goes.' Initially, the author said he viewed the project as 'just another book,' but soon realised there was little available for younger generations. 'Now it comes to me – my calling is to write for young people, from five to 18 or five to 20 or wherever. It's got to be in both languages, just to expose the richness of our language to our young people.' Tauanu'u stressed that while many Samoan youth are growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand, they still see traditional values. 'They still see the care and love of the parents. They still see the strictness that goes with, 'You are important. You're going to go to church and keep an upright life. You're going to go to school and you're going to learn, nothing else'. 'Sometimes young people don't go to church and they question the relevance. But somewhere along life, there's an experience will bring you back to the anchoring of your life – the support network of family, the support network of faith. 'Maybe we put too much emphasis on a nice house, a nice car. But some of the greatest people live in very simple houses. And everyone goes there because they get a laugh, they get food.' Oratia Publishing representative Peter Dowling said while this was a project that communicates Samoan values and the traditions, 'the morals, the values that are communicated are universal, and that's one of the beautiful things about this book'. 'It's a long-cherished dream of ours to have more books and creating more books in different languages that represent the communities of Aotearoa, especially Gagana Samoa and other Pasifika languages where there has been a dearth of resources.' Project lead from the Auckland Libraries Veronica Ligaliga said the first person that came to mind for this book was Tauanu'u. 'This project was an opportunity for us to give back to the community,' she told the launch attendees. 'I wanted to create content that will not only honour Tauanu'u's contribution to the success of the debate, but a book that will become part of the local history of Tāmaki Makaurau. 'It's about creating connected communities from inside out. Auckland Council libraries is committed to increasing the representation of Pasifika languages and cultures in their collections, and this project is just another one of them.' Students were also present to support Tauanu'u, where they performed traditional siva Samoa.. One student they were grateful that they got to experience this alongside him, while another said they were happy to see him finally acknowledged and on a big stage too. Samoa Language Week finishes on Saturday.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
A Chief's Children's Book Weaves Fa'amatai And Proverbs
Article – RNZ , RNZ Pacific Journalist While many childrens books are written in Samoan, Alagā'upu Fa'asamoa ma Uiga mo Tamaiti may be the first to bring fa'amatai (the chiefly system) and traditional proverbs into a story made for young readers. Authored by a renowned teacher and language and cultural expert in Aotearoa, Tauanu'u Perenise Tapu Sitagata, the book is written in Gagana Samoa (Samoan language) and English. The launch was led by his children and grandchildren with support from Auckland Council and Auckland Library. 'I didn't want the children to miss out on the richness of the values,' Tauanu'u said. 'Values about church, about family relationships, about brother and sister, about existing together, about helping each other. 'There's one that goes e lele lava le toloa ae maau i le vai – the bird flies, but will always go back to water because it's sustenance and it helps them in everyday life. 'Wherever we go, we always come back to our families. It is our home, and it is where we learned at an early age, and it is where we learned all the values that we have in life. So that's why those are the cornerstones of Samoan language and culture – the family, the church, the parents, relationship between people, respect. Try to capture in these sayings and these proverbs.' The book is brought to life by vibrant illustrations that mirror village life. 'I was familiar with the words – the pictures really enhanced what the words were saying,' the author explained. 'The skill of the artist is they asked me, 'What do you want to show in the pictures?' and I think the artist created something even more. 'We go back to the visuals of our path; the visuals of the family sitting around; the visuals of the parents talking to the children; the visuals of the church in the background where everyone goes.' Initially, the author said he viewed the project as 'just another book,' but soon realised there was little available for younger generations. 'Now it comes to me – my calling is to write for young people, from five to 18 or five to 20 or wherever. It's got to be in both languages, just to expose the richness of our language to our young people.' Tauanu'u stressed that while many Samoan youth are growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand, they still see traditional values. 'They still see the care and love of the parents. They still see the strictness that goes with, 'You are important. You're going to go to church and keep an upright life. You're going to go to school and you're going to learn, nothing else'. 'Sometimes young people don't go to church and they question the relevance. But somewhere along life, there's an experience will bring you back to the anchoring of your life – the support network of family, the support network of faith. 'Maybe we put too much emphasis on a nice house, a nice car. But some of the greatest people live in very simple houses. And everyone goes there because they get a laugh, they get food.' Oratia Publishing representative Peter Dowling said while this was a project that communicates Samoan values and the traditions, 'the morals, the values that are communicated are universal, and that's one of the beautiful things about this book'. 'It's a long-cherished dream of ours to have more books and creating more books in different languages that represent the communities of Aotearoa, especially Gagana Samoa and other Pasifika languages where there has been a dearth of resources.' Project lead from the Auckland Libraries Veronica Ligaliga said the first person that came to mind for this book was Tauanu'u. 'This project was an opportunity for us to give back to the community,' she told the launch attendees. 'I wanted to create content that will not only honour Tauanu'u's contribution to the success of the debate, but a book that will become part of the local history of Tāmaki Makaurau. 'It's about creating connected communities from inside out. Auckland Council libraries is committed to increasing the representation of Pasifika languages and cultures in their collections, and this project is just another one of them.' Students were also present to support Tauanu'u, where they performed traditional siva Samoa.. One student they were grateful that they got to experience this alongside him, while another said they were happy to see him finally acknowledged and on a big stage too. Samoa Language Week finishes on Saturday.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
A Chief's Children's Book Weaves Fa'amatai And Proverbs
Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai, RNZ Pacific Journalist While many childrens books are written in Samoan, Alagā'upu Fa'asamoa ma Uiga mo Tamaiti may be the first to bring fa'amatai (the chiefly system) and traditional proverbs into a story made for young readers. Authored by a renowned teacher and language and cultural expert in Aotearoa, Tauanu'u Perenise Tapu Sitagata, the book is written in Gagana Samoa (Samoan language) and English. The launch was led by his children and grandchildren with support from Auckland Council and Auckland Library. "I didn't want the children to miss out on the richness of the values," Tauanu'u said. "Values about church, about family relationships, about brother and sister, about existing together, about helping each other. "There's one that goes e lele lava le toloa ae maau i le vai - the bird flies, but will always go back to water because it's sustenance and it helps them in everyday life. "Wherever we go, we always come back to our families. It is our home, and it is where we learned at an early age, and it is where we learned all the values that we have in life. So that's why those are the cornerstones of Samoan language and culture - the family, the church, the parents, relationship between people, respect. Try to capture in these sayings and these proverbs." The book is brought to life by vibrant illustrations that mirror village life. "I was familiar with the words - the pictures really enhanced what the words were saying," the author explained. "The skill of the artist is they asked me, 'What do you want to show in the pictures?' and I think the artist created something even more. "We go back to the visuals of our path; the visuals of the family sitting around; the visuals of the parents talking to the children; the visuals of the church in the background where everyone goes." Initially, the author said he viewed the project as "just another book," but soon realised there was little available for younger generations. "Now it comes to me - my calling is to write for young people, from five to 18 or five to 20 or wherever. It's got to be in both languages, just to expose the richness of our language to our young people." Tauanu'u stressed that while many Samoan youth are growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand, they still see traditional values. "They still see the care and love of the parents. They still see the strictness that goes with, 'You are important. You're going to go to church and keep an upright life. You're going to go to school and you're going to learn, nothing else'. "Sometimes young people don't go to church and they question the relevance. But somewhere along life, there's an experience will bring you back to the anchoring of your life - the support network of family, the support network of faith. "Maybe we put too much emphasis on a nice house, a nice car. But some of the greatest people live in very simple houses. And everyone goes there because they get a laugh, they get food." Oratia Publishing representative Peter Dowling said while this was a project that communicates Samoan values and the traditions, "the morals, the values that are communicated are universal, and that's one of the beautiful things about this book". "It's a long-cherished dream of ours to have more books and creating more books in different languages that represent the communities of Aotearoa, especially Gagana Samoa and other Pasifika languages where there has been a dearth of resources." Project lead from the Auckland Libraries Veronica Ligaliga said the first person that came to mind for this book was Tauanu'u. "This project was an opportunity for us to give back to the community," she told the launch attendees. "I wanted to create content that will not only honour Tauanu'u's contribution to the success of the debate, but a book that will become part of the local history of Tāmaki Makaurau. "It's about creating connected communities from inside out. Auckland Council libraries is committed to increasing the representation of Pasifika languages and cultures in their collections, and this project is just another one of them." Students were also present to support Tauanu'u, where they performed traditional siva Samoa.. One student they were grateful that they got to experience this alongside him, while another said they were happy to see him finally acknowledged and on a big stage too. Samoa Language Week finishes on Saturday.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
'Run It Straight' Event Cancelled In Māngere
A 'Run It Straight' event planned for Williams Park in Māngere has been canned after organisers failed to secure a permit and a local board raised safety concerns. The event is a social media-driven trend where participants compete in full-contact collisions without protective gear, raising serious health concerns over concussion and injury risks. Tauanu'u Nick Bakulich, chair of the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board, told Local Democracy Reporting that the board opposed the event on public health and safety grounds and confirmed no official application had been made to Auckland Council. "An event was scheduled at Williams Park Māngere [on Wednesday]. The Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board opposes this event for reasons of safety, given what data is available as a result of brain and health-related injuries," Tauanu'u says. "This event did not apply for an approved permit from Auckland Council, nor a parks booking through the Auckland Council process. This event will now not take place at Williams Park, Māngere." Auckland Council confirmed to Local Democracy Reporting that Williams Park is council-owned, and that no application for an event permit or booking was received. A council spokesperson said it had not declined or cancelled any Run It Straight events in Auckland. "If the organisers were to follow the correct process, we believe it is highly unlikely the event would have met the council's guidelines for approval." Eli Nathan, Auckland Council's Head of Area Operations, said a permit is required events that meet certain conditions, such as involving more than 150 people, public safety risks, or the use of vehicles, power, or food vendors. "For clarity, the council has not received an application for a permit nor a booking for the ground and therefore cannot comment on this event." Permitted events on council land must meet health and safety planning requirements under the Health and Safety at Work Act. Nathan said event organisers unsure about their obligations are encouraged to contact the council for advice. "We are not aware of any contact being made by the organisers regarding a permit or booking." The Australian-based company, RUNIT Championship League, debuted in Melbourne in April and made its way to Auckland this month. A RUNIT Championship League spokesperson said they did not have any event booked at Māngere. "I believe who you are referring to is @runitstraight24 on Instagram." It is understood that @runitstraight24 is a separate social media account currently promoting and staging 'Run It Straight' events across South Auckland. In an Instagram reel posted last week, events were planned for Manukau Rovers on the 21 May and the Marist Saints on 22 May. However, last night on their Instagram account, a video was posted announcing that the South Auckland events were cancelled after local council and government intervened. "Tomorrow's show, Wednesday and Thursday at Rovers and Marist Saints has been cancelled," the video said. We tried to come back to the home of Run It Straight, but unfortunately, your councils and your parliament has actually called us in and said we're not allowed to run any on the local field. So, stay with us, we're still working on ways to get a field and bring a show to, you know, the home of the Run It Straight. We're coming. Let's go." The group has been approached for comment. Health professionals have raised alarms about the dangers of 'Run It Straight' events, with some critics dubbing it the dumbest sport ever". AUT professor and sports biomechanics expert Patria Hume told RNZ's Midday Report on Tuesday that the sport ignores decades of evidence on head injury risks, calling it a "reckless and dangerous spectacle." The deliberate design to maximise impact is both irresponsible and scientifically indefensible, defying decades of research on head injury risks, she told RNZ. Tauanu'u has also expressed concern about the wider spread of these unsanctioned events in South Auckland and said he plans to speak directly with Manukau Rovers leadership. "I will be expressing concerns to the Rovers from the community that includes safety and liability," he said. "I would not think that this is the kind of thing that should be encouraged, given data on concussion and head-related injuries." He said that the board continues to support community events that are safe, positive, and follow proper processes, especially when young people are involved.
