A new website launched today, aims to become the "hub" of all things Tokelau and raise the profile of the Atafu Tokelau Community Group.
President of the Atafu Tokelau Community group Les Atoni says a new website launched today hopes to become the "go-to online resource" for reviving the Tokelauan language and culture in New Zealand and overseas.
That Matauala Cultural Centre & Hub website is the official site of the Atafu Tokelau Community Group based in Porirua but also has material on Atafu and Tokelau for cultural and language educational purposes.
The website upgrade was made possible through the generous support of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples' Provider Languages Fund (PLF) which promotes language, culture, and identity as essential to the wellbeing and long-time success of Pacific people in Aotearoa.
Les says the aim is for the website to become the "hub" of all things Tokelau while also raising the profile of the Atafu Tokelau community in Wellington.
The website was launched after the official flag raising ceremony for Tokelau Language Week 2022 was held at the Matauala Centre in Porirua this morning.
Les says the website is "one of the tools we really want to use to ensure that we share our culture with the outside world but most importantly with our younger generation and non-speaking Tokelauan population here in New Zealand.”
Gagana Tokelau alongside Vangahau Niue and Cook Island Māori are the three languages in serious danger of becoming extinct, Les says.
The website is named Matauala, which is another name for Atafu, and is at www.matauala.org.nz