Tracey Sā
Tracey Sā is a learning and Development Consultant working with the Centre for Pacific Languages. She started her session with a wakeup call as she led the team through a Samoan clapping routine inspired by Sasa traditions. Tracey’s session focused on the loss of language among Pacifica communities who have emigrated to New Zealand across several generations. She shared her personal journey culminating in the question – why does Cultural intelligence matter?
“Once you lose your language you also lose your culture and identity, and you lose the connection to your essence and culture. At the Centre we champion our languages and provide a leadership platform to recognise our people and who we are and the spaces we are in. We do a lot of work to reduce the stigma that people feel who do not know their language. Courses are held online and face to face using a consistent learning model.
Language matters because it preserves our culture, keeps it alive and promotes respect. Language and culture have a sacred role in shaping identity and learning. Languages keep alive homes, churches, schools and villages and the technology we use to do this must support not distort original dialects, expressions, proverbs and chants. Our authenticity is our authority, and Pacific AI must be developed with, not on, our people.”
The Centre is already using AI Learning tools in Pacific classrooms alongside elders with CPL courses now blended with digital tools to increase access. Apps teach chants, hymns, prayers and vagahau, Gagana lead the way elders would. They are embedding taoga into digital tools.
Tracey finished her session with a powerful Alagā‘upu.
Kia lālāmouga e haau a vagahau mo e aga fakamotu ti hahamo ke he tapunu!
Put your language and culture on your shoulders and with all you might and power , carry it to the highest peak!
The Centre for Pacific Languages offers Samoan language classes, along with Tongan, Vagahau Niue, Tokelauan, Tuvaluan, Fijian, Rotuman, Kiribati and Cook Islands Māori language classes. Courses are 10 weeks long and taught once a week in a 2hr tutor-facilitated online class.