“These are kids whose grandparents used to be part of the community. So, for me, seeing our young babies, with all the different generations coming through, it’s super emotional” – Neta Peau
The Easter Tournament is one of the most important occasions on the calendar for the Tokelau people in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Held every two years, this year’s event was held in Auckland, with the long weekend filled with sports, cultural dance and church fellowship.
The event drew Tokelauans from around New Zealand and split into four regions, Aukilani, Porirua, Lower Hutt and Rotorua.
This year’s tournament was organised by Mafutaga Tupulaga Tokelau i Aukilani, and Secretary Latasi Koro says it the ‘biggest gathering of Tokelauans in the world’.
“You’ll find when the Easter Tourney is coming up everyone’s travelling because obviously they don’t want to miss out.”
The highlight of the Tournament is the Po Fatele which sees each region participating in traditional fatele, or dance.
New Zealand-raised Tokelauan Nive Baker (Fakaofo/Nukunonu) says the event is important for her identity and journey as a Tokelauan.
“It is really important, I think this Easter tournament is a learning journey for young students like myself. I don’t speak Tokelauan but dancing is the closest I’ll get to learn the language,” she says.
This year’s theme is Poupou na toa ke kaea ma takitaki, ni tapapa e o te aganuku, which means ‘Raising Leaders Rooted in Culture’.
One of the Rotorua children who danced in the Po Fatele is Amakaga Tefono-Lika.
“I was doing the flags and dancing for my culture, the Tu-Tolu. It was pretty good. I had to do the flag at the front,” he says.
His father Niko Tefono-Lika couldn’t be prouder of the young people taking part today. He migrated to New Zealand in 1966 and remembers when the first gatherings began.
He says the idea came about in 1969 and came into fruition in 1970 with sports games between Rotorua and Porirua. Later, the event grew to more sports, fatele and worship.
Niko says, “it is very good and important for our young people, especially for the New Zealand born.
“This event is imperative to sustain our Tokelau language.”
17 year old Amini Edward (Fakaofo/Atafu) is one of the 600 dancers in the Auckland group and says, for him, the event is bigger than [Auckland’s] Polyfest.
Neta Peau travelled from Australia to participate and MC the Po Fatele night. She grew up attending the Easter Tourney and is excited to see the growth in the young people taking part this year.
She says Auckland’s group has doubled from the 300 they had dancing at the last Easter Tournament in Lower Hutt.
“These are kids whose grandparents used to be part of the community. So, for me, seeing our young babies, with all the different generations coming through, it’s super emotional,” Neta Says.
“To see the children (have) returned to this tournament where their grandparents used to dance, I know that that was always their dream.
“Their dream was to lay the foundation for the generations that are coming, which is us.”
*Some quotes have been edited for Clarity
