From Rotuma to Solomon Islands; celebrating language

The annual celebrations of Pacific language weeks have kicked off, starting with Rotuman in early May, and Samoan later in the month.

They will be followed, from July through November, by celebrations of the languages of Kiribati, Cook Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Fiji, Niue, Tokelaua, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands.

During Gasav Ne Fäeag Rotu m Ta (Rotuman Language Week), Hastings man Ravai (Roy) Rennel, shared his memories of his homeland and the importance of the language to him.

When Roy sits down to talk, he has a well-thumbed book about his homeland to hand: Rotuma – A Patch of Green. It is so well read, it takes very gentle handling to ensure the pages do not all land up on the floor – a testament to the importance of home.

He tells Rotuma’s creation story, with its close ties to Samoa, and shows photos in the book of community gatherings on the idyllic island. Raised by his grandparents, Roy remembers growing up on a the warm white-sands island, with family life at the core and respect for the elders ingrained from an early age Like many in their teens, Roy headed to Fiji for education and opportunities, where he met his Kiwi bride Rebecca, who was teaching in Fiji.

They moved to Auckland some 30 years ago and more recently to Hawke’s Bay to be near their daughter and grandchildren.

Roy had only been able to take one trip home, given the cost and distance. That had made it even more important to keep his language – especially the spoken language. Sentence structure is quite different from English, and a moment during the 1990s, when he inadvertently told a church congregation that he had ‘removed my eyes’ rather than ‘looking towards something’, drove that home. “They laughed, and it was funny, but it reminded me.” From Rotuma to Solomon Islands; celebrating language Over the years there have been gatherings of Rotuma Islanders across New Zealand. While he knows of just three in Hawke’s Bay, he estimates a population in New Zealand of about 4000. Roy spoke five languages in his younger years, and is still proficient in three – with Rotuman closest to his heart.

Rotuma Island in a nutshell

Self-governing, Rotuman Island is a dependency of Fiji. It has a population of about 1600 (2017); with another 8500 living in Fiji (646 kilometres away). The tiny volcanic island is just 13 kilometres long and four kilometres wide, over 47 square kilometres. The highest peak is 256 metres. To compare, Te Mata Peak is 399 m high and the park covers 99 hectare.