Fakaalofa lahi atu, and welcome to Faahi tapu he Vagahau Niue – Niue Language Week!

This year’s theme is Kia Tupuolaola e Moui he Tagata Niue which means May the Tagata Niue thrive.

To honour this week, we wanted to share the work of Lino Nelisi, one of our treasured Writers in Schools authors.

Mrs Nelisi is a children’s writer whose books celebrate New Zealand’s cultural diversity. Of Niuean Samoan heritage, she has worked as a primary teacher in Niue and in Auckland, and as an Auckland College of Education adviser on Pacific Islands education.

Mrs Nelisi has produced more than 15 texts and her work is published in English, Māori, Samoan, Tongan, Niuean, Tokelauan, Cook Island Māori and Spanish, and has been shortlisted several times for the New Zealand Post Children’s Picture Book Award.

You can read and listen to one of her dual-language early literacy books, Aunti Ligi's Talo Garden, on Te Kete Ipurangi.

She writes about her life and work for us in Vagahau Niue and English:

Fakaalofa lahi atu. Fakaaue ke he Atua ha kua feleveia he aho nai ha ha ko e Vagahau Niue ha koe alito he Vagahau Niue.

Ko au ko Lino Ugamea Levi - Nelisi. Ko e fifine Niue hafa Samoa au. Matua fifine Samoa haaku mo e matua taane Niue. Ne fanau au I Kauhi he maaga haaku ko Avatele Oneonepata.

Ko e asefua haaku e Vagahau Niue

Ke maeke foki he tau tagata ke iloa au ko e tagata Niue/fifine Niue.

Ne fanau au ke he Vagahau Niue

ti nakai maeke au ke nimo tukulagi e Vagahau Niue ato toka e au e mouiaga nei.

Ne tohia e au limagofulu e tohi/tala Niue. Ne fakaliliu foki e au e tau tala haaku ne tohi ke he Vagahau Palagi / Peritania.

Ko e tau tala lata mo e fanau ikiiki he tau aoga, lautolu ne lima ke he hogofulu e tau tau. Fakaliliu e tau tala haaku ke he Vagahau Maori, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Island Maori, taha tohi ke he Vagahau Spanish.

I am grateful to participate as part of the Read NZ Te Pou Muramura team. I am honoured to be part of Writers in Schools and to share my stories with students and teachers during Book Weeks. My stories are unique and are very suitable for diverse audiences.

For example, Lavalava is a dual language book that I wrote in Niuean and English. It’s a flip-book, meaning there are two languages in one book. I love to read my new books such as Sione's Talo, which is a favourite among many young students.

I have had six new books published by Australia Education. These books are available online.

I also recorded three audio stories:

- Uncle Tuki's Mauku - The funeral

- Atoa's first day at school

- Feleni is going to church

My books are mainly about my family. Uncle Tuki used to be the main character but sadly he passed away two years ago. I used their names in my books. I am safe to use their names and very proud of my family. For example, I have four adult children three of them are teachers. One is teaching in Australia and two are teaching in Auckland.

I have eight grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren and two great-great tama tupuna.

I love reading. It is part of my teaching life. I taught in Niue for seven years. I came to NZ and resumed teaching in Auckland. I graduated with a Master’s degree in Education, specialising in Pacific Islands Education.

I love my heritage language so much that I translated my thesis into the Vagahau Niue. I gifted it to the Auckland University Library.

Oue TULOU hakua maeke ia tautolu ke he feleveia ha ko e Vagahau Niue. Liogi ke he Atua ke malolo mo e Monuina ato liu ke feleveia.

Monuina Mai he Atua

Ko Lino Ugamea Levi Nelisi