A Niue community in New Zealand is building new ways for younger generations to learn their village history, traditions and language from the people who know them best.
Malakai Taufitu Simeki is helping lead the Toi Makataha Fakafelo Village Council, established in April 2026 after conversations with vice-chair John Pulehega about strengthening village relationships and representation.
According to New Zealand’s Ministry for Pacific Peoples, the council wants to create opportunities for people of different ages to take part in cultural activities and pass on knowledge that might otherwise be lost.
In August 2026, the group held the Toi Makataha Fakafaleloto cultural festival. Community members organised and funded the event, which included food, crafts, performances and opportunities for families to gather.
For some elders who had not returned to Niue in more than 50 years, the festival offered a connection to the atmosphere of home.
The council is also interested in recording village stories and developing workshops that draw on local knowledge, including traditional music. Malakai attends weekly Vagahau Niue language classes and encourages families to keep the language part of everyday life.
The effort reflects a question faced by many Pacific communities abroad: how can younger people inherit more than a cultural label when distance and time separate them from their ancestral villages?
For this council, part of the answer is to create spaces where elders can teach and young people can participate.
This report is based on a Ministry for Pacific Peoples profile published on 21 October 2026.
