37.8% OF PACIFIC PEOPLE CAN SPEAK 2 LANGUAGES OR MORE Gagana Samoa THIRD MOST SPOKEN LANGUAGE IN NEW ZEALAND Participants in Commission fono were deeply concerned about the loss of Pacific languages and cultures in Aotearoa New Zealand especially among Niue, Tokelau and the Cook Islands, whose majority populations all live in Aotearoa New Zealand, and overwhelmingly speak English. In 2013, 43 percent of Pacific peoples spoke two languages or more. Samoan was the third most spoken language, and Tongan the tenth most spoken language.128 In 2018, the number of Pacific peoples that spoke two languages or more fell to 37.8 percent, and while Samoan remained the third most spoken language, Tongan became the 14th most spoken language in Aotearoa New Zealand.129 Recent research revealed a fear among Pacific peoples that the ancestral languages could disappear within two to three generations.130 It noted that at every census, the ability of New Zealandborn Pacific peoples to speak ancestral languages significantly reduces. The Tuvalu New Zealand-born population has the highest proficiency in their ancestral language more than any other ethnic group, but this proficiency too is shown to decrease as time goes on.131 128 129 130 131 132 133 38 14th MOST SPOKEN LANGUAGE IN NEW ZEALAND, LEA FAKATONGA The Superdiversity Stocktake (2015) strongly recommended that the New Zealand Government establish a National Language Policy. The recommendation highlighted a number of issues: the importance of status, support and protection for languages and cultures; the reduction of impediments to civic engagement and accessing public services: the need to improve student achievement in school; better career opportunities for young people; and all-round enhanced social harmony and cohesion.132 The Ministry for Pacific peoples has outlined a clear vision for flourishing Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand grounded in language, culture and identity captured in the following goals:133 Goal One - Thriving Pacific languages, cultures and identities Goal Two - Prosperous Pacific communities Goal Three - Resilient and healthy Pacific peoples Goal Four - Confident, thriving & resilient Pacific young people Harvey, S. 2015. “Language Policy and Planning in Superdiverse Times: Aotearoa/New Zealand” Paper presented at the Launch of the Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Languages Strategy, Auckland 27 November 2015. Accessed at http://www. cometauckland.org.nz/webfiles/CometNZ/files/New_presentation_for_Friday_2-Sharon.pdf. https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/2018-census-totals-by-topic-national-highlights-updated. Samu, L-J. V., Moewaka Barnes, H., Asiasiga, L. and McCreanor, T. (2019). We’re not privileged to have that foundation of language: Pasifika young adults share their deep concerns about the decline of their ancestral/ heritage languages in Aotearoa New Zealand. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, Volume 15, Issue 2, 1-9. Samu, L-J. V., Moewaka Barnes, H., Asiasiga, L. and McCreanor, T. (2019). We’re not privileged to have that foundation of language: Pasifika young adults share their deep concerns about the decline of their ancestral/ heritage languages in Aotearoa New Zealand. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, Volume 15, Issue 2, 1-9. Chen, M. 2015. Superdiversity Stocktake: Implications for Business, Government and New Zealand. Wellington: Superdiversity Centre, p. 80. Accessed at https://www.chenpalmer.com/wp-content/uploads/Superdiversity_ Stocktake.pdf. Ministry for Pacific Peoples. (2018). Pacific Aotearoa, Lalanga Fou: A Shared Vision for Pacific Peoples in Aotearoa. Accessed at https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/8fdfe4_56adb264146348fa82d44fb0f544dc5e. pdf?fbclid=IwAR0gRdoDcN9aWNbUnv6rHt_ZCmLlikAe4YkS47ahkUU5j-Ld4vK4svmSotw. Talanoa: Human rights issues for Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand