The Tāoga Niue Council and Vagahau Niue Commission are two key partners established under law to provide expert advice to the Tāoga Niue Department and to advance the purposes of it’s core functions detailed under the Tāoga Niue Act 2012 and Vagahau Niue Act 2012.
The Departments of Education, Environment, Niue Council of Women and Niue Youth Council are also our key stakeholders in the advocating and enhancement of tāoga Niue. (Tāoga Niue in this context means – antiquities, objects of national cultural significance to Niue, objects of national historical significance to Niue, traditional knowledge, expressions of culture, customs, traditions and history of Niue, Vagahau Niue and traditional food).
Tāoga Niue Council
The Council was established under Part 3 of the Tāoga Niue Act 2012.
Objectives
- To exercise statutory powers conferred in the Tāoga Niue Act 2012 and any other Act.
- To exercise powers necessary to enable it to perform its functions.
Functions of the Council
– To act as an expert advisory council to the Department in relation to tāoga Niue;
– To advise the Director on whether an object is:
(i) an antiquity; or
(ii) of national cultural significance; or
(iii) of national historical significance;
– To advise the Director on the removal of protected objects from the register;
– To determine the ownership of antiquities and protected objects if it is unclear or if there is a dispute;
– All incidental and related matters.
Current Members of the Tāoga Niue Council (February 2021 – January 2024):
Mr. Ben P Tanaki (Chairperson); Hon. Billy G Talagi, Mrs. Nicola Puheke; (all 3 are Cabinet appointments); Mrs. Minemaligi Pulu (Niue Council of Women); Miss Rhonda Tiakia (Niue Youth Council); Ms Emeline Laufoli (Niue Environment Department Representative); Ms Tifaole Ioane (Vagahau Niue Commission); Mr. Lavea Puheke (Representative for Niue Heritage Assets), Mrs. Birtha Tongahai (Director of Education) and Ms. Moira Enetama (Director of Tāoga Niue and a non-voting Member).
Acting Secretary – Ms. Isabella Fuhiniu
Vagahau Niue Commission
The Commission was established under Part 3 of the Vagahau Niue 2012
Objectives
- To exercise statutory powers conferred in the Vagahau Niue Act 2012.
- To exercise powers necessary to enable it to perform its functions.
Functions of the Commission
– To promote the use of Vagahau Niue;
– To grant certificates of competency in Vagahau Niue in accordance with section 7;
– To prepare criteria by which competence in the interpretation or translation of Vagahau Niue is to be assessed for the purposes of section 7;
– To provide advice to the Government on policies and law to support Vagahau Niue;
– To advise the Government on matters relating to the use of Vagahau Niue;
– To assist the Government in developing Vagahau Niue programmes for study at early childhood, primary, secondary, tertiary, and continuing education levels in Niue and abroad;
– To conduct regular surveys of community language attitudes and language use;
– To coordinate views on the status, form, and usages of Vagahau Niue;
– To inform and advise the public on the appropriate form of Vagahau Niue;
– To make systematic decisions on orthography, standardisation, and modernisation;
– To coordinate the implementation of language decisions within Government departments and in the community;
– To promote and support research on Vagahau Niue;
– To review translations submitted to it for scrutiny and to endorse works in Vagahau Niue before their publication;
– To publish information on Vagahau Niue, material about Vagahau Niue, and works in Vagahau Niue;
– To promote and assist coordination of the use of Vagahau Niue in Niue communities abroad, both with those communities and through New Zealand government agencies;
– To serve as the liaison agency between Niue and language commissions and similar organisations abroad which are concerned with the development of language;
– To carry out such other functions and duties relating to Vagahau Niue as may be assigned to it by the Government.
(2) The Commission is the final authority on the use of Vagahau Niue.
Current Members of the Vagahau Niue Commission (February 2021 – January 2024)
Ms. Tifaole Ioane (Chairperson); Mrs. Moka Tano Puleoti, Rev. Navy Salatielu (all 3 are Cabinet Appointments); Mrs. Minemaligi Pulu (Niue Council of Women); Miss Rhonda Tiakia (Niue Youth Council); Mrs. Birtha Tongahai (Director of Education) and Moira Enetama (Director Tāoga Niue) – both as non-voting Members.
Secretary: Mrs. Vehi Kaiuha
Ko e Fakatino Fakamailoga he Komisina Vagahau Niue
Ko e fakatino kua fakakite ke he fua niu mo e launiu. Ko e fua niu kua fakahihiga mai ko e iko he potu ke fakakite e maopoopo he atefua mo e aga he tagata Niue, nākai nī ko e Vagahau Niue ka ko e tau aga mahuiga, tau ponatakiaga mo e tau lukulukufeua he tagata he fenoga atu ke he Halavaka he Monuina. Ko e launiu ke fakakite aki e moui fakavē he tagata Niue ke he Atua. Ko e fakavēaga ia ne lukuluku e Vagahau Niue, aga mahuiga, tau ponatakiaga mo e moui lukulukufeua he tagata Niue.
(Ko e fakatino nai kua tālaga mo e tuku fakalataha e Ms. Simeamo Sionetuato)
The Vagahau Niue Commission Logo
The logo comprises of two images; the coconut and its frond. The coconut shows a woven coil image depicting the binding together of all things Niue, its culture, language, principles and values of its people and its growth as it journey towards its pathway to prosperity. The coconut green frond depicting the spirituality of the Niue peoples, embraces the coconut warmly in its bosom signifying our desire to sustain, revitalise and strengthen our Vagahau Niue as our top priority so it lives on, cherished and embraced by the many generations to come”.
(The logo was designed by Ms. Simeamo Sionetuato)
