Transcript
The 2017 Tokelau Festival was hosted by the Mafutaga Tupulaga Tokelau Porirua, just outside Wellington.
Kalolo Patelehio of the Mafutaga says the event goes back to the 1960s, and it's just grown from there.
"Although we have sports, various sports, but what's been happening over the last 10 years is that New Zealand born [Tokelauans] really look forward and they practise a lot for this cultural festival."
He says the event is also a platform for young Tokelauans born in New Zealand.
"Seeing the New Zealand-born to be so passionate and being so fired up about singing a Tokelau song, and dancing not necessarily perfect, but that's not important, the important this is that they are exposed to the dancing which is learning all the songs, it's like training."
Antonio Patelehio of the committee says this is the biggest event for Tokelauan communities in New Zealand.
"Well, it's the only Tokelau festival that brings all the four atolls together of Tokelau together, we include Olohega, who is part of America but historically has been part of Tokelau but it's the only event that brings us together as one nation."
Mr Patelehio says one focus this year was career options for young people.
"The hope for the future part of our vision, we have turned the volume a little bit more, this year we focussed on the IT industry and the digital world, we are encouraging our youth to consider that as a viable career options."
Dawn Patelehio who is the vice-treasurer of the Mafutaga says there's a real push to get more young people on board.
"Obliviously with our theme, we are going to learn from our elders so that we can teach our young ones as well"
She also says this year for the first time young children were allowed to take part in the fatele (hatele) Tokelau or cultural dance.
My daughter is part of it and she's been buzzing for the last two to three months, and it goes back again to our theme, we want to bring our young people ones up, we want them to be proud of being Tokelau."
The New Zealand areas represented at this year's festival were from Porirua, Hutt Valley, Rotorua/Taupo and Auckland.
"I first attended the festival as a 15 year-old, in those days it was just mostly sports events," says Roni Vaovasa, the new secretary of the Mafutaga Tupulaga Tokelau.
"In the start, it was a way for young Tokelauans in New Zealand to get together, and talk about their culture and about what Tokelauan meant for us, because there were so few of us," she said.
"The event has really grown since then, and it's great to see young people being proud about being Tokelauan."
"I now bring my own kids to the event, and this year my daughter is dancing."
