Stronger family ties key to survival of tiny Niue

By ANGELA GREGORY

Strengthening contact between Niueans and their New Zealand relatives is crucial to the country's survival, says Niue's High Commissioner to New Zealand, Hima Takelesi.

Mr Takelesi will travel with about 60 Niueans living in New Zealand to the island this weekend, when Prime Minister Helen Clark will sign a memorandum of agreement to reaffirm the special relationship between the two countries.

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Niue's self-government in free association with New Zealand, Helen Clark will also address a community discussion on protecting and enhancing Niue's culture and language.

Mr Takelesi told the Herald yesterday that strengthening the bonds between about 21,000 New Zealand Niueans and the 1500 island inhabitants was a key to the country's prosperity and survival.

Because the island population was so small, some whole extended families had now left.

Mr Takelesi said one barrier to development was the fact that only the Niuean Government could buy and sell land.

Disputes over land use or control had caused friction, he said. "That's why it is important to bring families closer together ... fortunately the people in New Zealand recognise the problem and want to help."

There was a growing network of "very passionate" second- and third-generation Niueans in New Zealand who wanted to retain their cultural links, he said.

"They have woken up and questioned their cultural identity. Naturally they turn to look at the island."

Mr Takelesi said Niueans saw how other Pacific island groups had worked to retain their unique identities, along with the example set by Maori through the kohanga reo movement.

The Niuean language had been identified as an "endangered species" and even on Niue some households spoke only English.

"We still have time up our sleeve but we need to act now."

Niue relied heavily on New Zealand and its population continued to diminish, he said. "We are going to face a labour shortage."

New Zealand foreign affairs staff told media in Wellington yesterday that the island was showing strong signs of recovery after the destruction of Cyclone Heta in January.

New Zealand's emphasis was on growing jobs with promising starts already in fishing, noni juice processing, and vanilla crops. It also had high hopes for ecotourism.