It’s Kiribati Language Week (7-13 July), a great opportunity to put the spotlight on one of the smaller, but growing Pacific communities in Aotearoa.
The 2024 theme for the Kiribati Language Week is ‘Eutakirakean ma kabwaekekean ara taetae ni Kiribati ma kateira ao rabakaura, bon maurin ao tokabetin te I-Kiribati - Thriving and flourishing our Kiribati language, culture, and knowledge build I-Kiribati resilience and prosperity’.
Kiribati
Kiribati, pronounced Kiribass, is located in the Pacific Ocean approximately 4,000 km southwest of Hawai’i, and is part of the Pacific Islands known as Micronesia.
Kiribati consists of 33 coral islands divided among three island groups: the Gilbert Islands, the Phoenix Islands and the Line Islands.
The capital of Kiribati is Tarawa, an atoll in the Gilbert Islands. Of the 33 islands, 21 are inhabited, with the majority of the population living in the Gilbert Islands.
According to 2022 data from the World Bank, Kiribati has a population of approximately 131,000 people which is larger than the population of Tonga (107,000).
I-Kiribati
In Aotearoa, I-Kiribati, which refers to Kiribati people, is a small community with just 3,225 people at the 2018 Census. However, that figure had risen over 200% from the 2006 census when the population was just 1,116.
Although small in numbers compared to the likes of Samoans (182, 721), Tongans (82,389), Cook Islands (80,532), I-Kiribati are a tight-knit community in Auckland, Warkworth, Waikato and Wellington.
Their strong passion for their unique language and culture, particularly song and dance, is regularly celebrated by I-Kiribati living in Aotearoa.
Museum visit to view Kiribati treasures
This week to celebrate Kiribati Language Week, ECG staff visited Auckland Museum to view a selection of textiles and fibre treasures including Te Iriba (fans), Taona n riri (waist ornaments), Te abein (basket), and Te ree ree (swords).
The exhibition was a visual insight of the distinctive textiles that were hand-woven by I-Kiribati in their traditional homeland, thousands of kilometres away.
Whilst the materials such as coconut, pandanus and natural fibre are utilised by other Pacific Islands, the creativity of I-Kiribati produces textiles and treasures that are unique to Kiribati.
In celebrating Kiribati Language Week, we at ECG are reminded of the importance of supporting the preservation of the culture and language of smaller Pacific communities who have made New Zealand their home.
It also underlines that when working in the Pacific Economy, we must have
an intimate understanding of Pacific Peoples and the influences which drive their socio-economic aspirations and wellbeing. Sabo! Thank you!
Comments