'Language and culture are fading': Young Fijians in Aotearoa fight to hold on to identity

For young Fijians growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand, keeping their language and culture alive can feel like a daily battle.

That was one of the strongest messages to come out of the Aotearoa Fijian Youth Symposium in Hamilton over the weekend, where participants shared openly about the pressure to fit into New Zealand life while staying connected to who they are.

Merelita Momo, from Hamilton, says knowing the language, culture and traditional protocols is becoming a major challenge for her generation.

"I think one of the challenges that is very distinct amongst all of them is just knowing the language, the culture and the protocols," Momo said.

She says social media and peer pressure can make that harder.

"Especially when we live in a country that is so diverse... we're trying to uphold the upbringing that we have - trying to maintain our language, our mother tongue, and our dialects, and so forth," Momo said.

Keeping their language and culture alive can feel like a daily battle for these young Fijians living and growing up in Aotearoa. Photo/PMN Fiji

"As well as also trying to not have that peer pressure, especially when we live in a world where social media is so active."

For Torika Ravudi, from Rotorua, the concern is even more direct.

“The biggest challenge we identified is our language and culture fading,” she said. “We are always being mocked for not knowing our language.”

The Aotearoa Fijian Youth Symposium is the first of two multi-day leadership and community events aimed at connecting, empowering, and supporting young Fijians in Aotearoa. Photo/Fiji Society Hamilton Youth

Viliame Naliva, the keynote speaker, told the young people that identity goes much deeper than simply being able to name their village or province.

"Chief among these challenges is that of identity, the sense of belonging," Naliva said.

"Identifying as Fijians and knowing what that actually means... [is] what it really means to be a Fijian deep inside your whole being. It is not enough just knowing the name of your village and the province that you come from."

Naliva, a lecturer at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology in Tauranga, says young Fijians are trying to hold on to their identity while living in an environment where they are often a minority.

“I have seen a lot of our young people here doing Fijian meke, singing Fijian songs, wearing Fijian costumes, wearing clothes such as Sulu vaka Taga and Sulu i Ra - these all help in developing you young people to face the challenge of identity,’ he told the youth.

“But always remember that you are struggling with this challenge in a hostile environment, that is, an environment which makes it difficult to develop and confirm your identity as a Fijian.”

Keynote speaker Viliame Naliva told the young people that identity goes much deeper than simply being able to name their village or province. Photo/PMN Fiji

Naliva says it can be tempting for young people to let go of their Fijian identity.

"It is much easier to just give up and to just go with the flow, forget about my Fijian identity, " he says.

“There are many of your brothers and sisters here in New Zealand who no longer do things in the Fijian way and no longer identify as Fijians because it is just not easy."

For Momo, the answer is to pass on what she learns.

"I hope to apply whatever is being taught here… and teach it to the ones that are coming after me," Momo said.

"Especially the younger age groups, and those who are reaching high school, and coming into uni, and coming into working, into jobs... making sure that I teach them what I'm learning over here."

Viliame Naliva, a lecturer at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology in Tauranga, says young Fijians are trying to hold on to their identity while living in an environment where they are often a minority. Photo/PMN Fiji

Judith Kacivi, from Hawke’s Bay, says the symposium gives young people space to share those experiences.

“It’s a good opportunity for us to come together and talk about issues we face as young people and also learn all we can in the context of culture,” she says.

“We will take back the knowledge gained from this symposium to our youth group so they can also learn from it.”

The Aotearoa Fijian Youth Symposium is the first of two multi-day leadership and community events aimed at connecting, empowering, and supporting young Fijians in Aotearoa.

It is hosted by the Aotearoa Viti Rugby Development Trust, Waikato Fijian Community, and the Fiji Society in Hamilton Youth.

Watch the opening session of the Aotearoa Fijian Youth Sympsium below.