‘We are Niue, we can do anything’: Community marks island's shared history with Aotearoa

When the Niue Community Christchurch (NCC) started planning the 125th anniversary of Niue’s annexation to New Zealand, commemorated on 11 June, they made one thing clear - this would not be a quiet or cautious event.

The celebration held last weekend became a statement of identity for a community of around 700 people of Niueans living in the Garden City and a chance to show they are growing in both confidence and visibility.

Held at the Christchurch Town Hall, the closed-invite event brought together families from the diaspora and some senior figures from both countries.

For Riki Welsh, Chairperson of NCC, the goal was to lift the community’s profile and make sure it was seen in rooms where decisions are made.

"I wanted something a little bit more tight, a little bit more governmental," Welsh told PMN of the planning, which began last December.

"So that whilst they were guests here, it was more than that. It was them seeing us, us seeing them, them seeing our talent. This isn't a one-off event. This is a chance to build those networks."

The guest list reflected that ambition with dignitaries including New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro, Niue’s Minister for Police and National Disaster Management Richie Mautama, Ministry for Pacific Peoples Chief Executive Geraldine Clifford-Lidstone, and Christchurch Deputy Mayor Victoria Henstock.

Speaking at the event, Dame Kiro acknowledged the long history of the two nations, noting that while formal constitutional arrangements began 125 years ago, the true strength lies in whakapapa (ancestry) and shared Pacific bonds.

Mautama, who was in Christchurch for the first time in his official capacity, said the relationship between Aotearoa and Niue has continued to evolve.

New Zealand Governorn-General Dame Cindy Kiro and Niue Minister Richie Mautama arrive to the Christchurch Town Hall. Photo/PMN/Atutahi Potaka-Dewes

“125 years of New Zealand looking after us…we are trying to not really rely on New Zealand so much, but become a partner with New Zealand,” Mautama says.

“I admire that about us, the resilience, and how they thrive to be better. The Christchurch community are showing us that. At the same time, it serves as a reminder that we will always have that relationship with New Zealand."

Mautama also called on the Niuean diaspora to protect their culture, urging families to maintain their vagahau Niue through church communities.

PMN Niue and 531pi radio host Inangaro Vakaafi (far right) attended the Niuean church service with Tagata Niue living in Christchurch. Photo/Inangaro Vakaafi

Phyllicia Tukuniu-Nimo, a Christchurch-born Niuean-Tongan, joined her mother Henga, sisters, and daughters at the event, and said the turnout was special.

“I don’t think I have seen this many Niueans together and all the different faces,” she says. “We have been in the [NCC] for years and it was always the same people. Now it’s beautiful to see all of us together and we know there are still more.”

James Taie-Hurley (Tamakautoga) attended a Niuean language nest that closed some decades ago alongside his sister Whitney. Now they attend the NCC’s vagahau Niue classes.

“There has been a bit of a gap for us…then this [NCC] started up,” he says. “It’s really good to have something consistent for ourselves, for our children, and our matua.”

Welsh used his speech to challenge the community to think bigger about their future, telling the room that the next Mayor of Christchurch and even the next Governor-General would one day be Niuean.

He later said the message was not a joke but a way of encouraging Tagata Niue to set high expectations.

"My aim really was to show our Niue community, don't be shy," Welsh says. "We can have these massive aspirations and let's tell people that we have these massive aspirations because that's how we will achieve."

For the South Island's growing Niuean community, rejecting a "play it safe" mentality is that of the generation determined to step out of the shadows, claim their space, and thrive.