Month: May 2023

Samoa Language Week 28 May – 3 June 2023

Hiart (2012) Saipo bark cloth (Wikimedia Commons)

Talofa!

This year Samoan Language Week falls between Sunday 28 May and Saturday 3 June and celebrates the following theme :

“Mitamita i lau gagana, maua’a lou fa’asinomaga” – Be proud of your language and grounded in your identity

Some key concepts in Samoan culture or faāsamoa include the values and traditions of:

  • aiga (family)
  • tautala Samoa (Samoan language)
  • gafa (genealogies)
  • matai (chiefly system)
  • lotu (church)
  • fa‘alavelave (ceremonial and other family obligations).

In 2018, 50% of people of Samoan ethnicity could speak Samoan. It was the third most-spoken language in New Zealand. There were 41 Samoan aoga amata (early learning language nests) in New Zealand in 2020. 

Watch this video to learn a few simple words, including counting in gagana Sāmoa (Samoan language).

To learn more gagana Sāmoa you can:

E pala le ma’a, a e le pala le tala

Even stones decay, but words endure

Pink Shirt Day

Today, Friday 19th May is Pink Shirt Day.

Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu, Mauri Tū, Mauri Ora – Speak Up, Stand Together, Stop Bullying!    This day is about working together to stop bullying by promoting kindness and inclusiveness and celebrating diversity. We need to help create a community where all people are valued and respected and ultimately feel safe in who they are whatever that may be!

Pink Shirt Day is celebrated worldwide. This awesome day kicked off in Canada in 2007, when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying. A student at their school was being harassed for wearing pink. Since 2009 New Zealand/Aotearoa has been honouring Pink Shirt Day. Pink Shirt Day has a website and it’s packed with activities, personal stories and downloadable resources, so check it out. https://pinkshirtday.org.nz/ What does it mean to be an up-stander? watch this YouTube video. https://youtu.be/N5miPvR6Vlc?t=1

International Day of Families 15th May 2023

By Barb C.

Have you discovered the joys of finding out about your heritage?

Perhaps you wonder where your name came from. Perhaps you hope to find more about your heritage. Perhaps you wonder if anyone in your whānau/family had similar talents to yours.

My husband’s birth mother passed away when he was a young child, so he didn’t get the chance to know her. He asked his aunts, uncles, and friends of the family to write/tell him their memories of his mum. He heard some funny stories, some hard times that she got through, what she liked and didn’t like, and a got a few photos of her. He is grateful that he asked, because now he knows his mum a lot better. Plus, he can share that information with our children.

My friend felt alone struggling with money and trying to care for her family. She found out about her great grandmother who had similar struggles living through World Wars and the Great Depression. My friend felt that even though it was hard, she could keep going and even smile more, knowing that she was descended from a strong capable woman.

When we know more about our heritage it can give us strength and a better understanding of who we are. Life is challenging – when we find out what tough times our ancestors faced and lived through, we can be inspired and gain courage to keep going too. We may find we have an easier life after all!

How do you start? Begin with what you know and any documents you have. Ask others in your whānau and family friends to fill in more detail. Look online for information about the areas your ancestors lived in too.

Hands up if you’re ready to sign – Karawhiua – Go for it!

With New Zealand Sign Language week from May 8 to 14, now is the time to start practising. To help you build your sign language skills the New Zealand Sign Language dictionary is a great resource which allows you to search for terms by:

Here is a sentence to try:

I live in Christchurch / Kei Ōtautahi ahau e noho ana.

Here are the video links for each word from the NZSL Dictionary :

I / Ahau – NZSL Online

live /noho – NZSL Online

in / roto – NZSL Online

Christchurch / Ōtautahi – NZSL Online

How did you go?

Why not practise all three official languages of Aotearoa / New Zealand by learning the national anthem in reo Māori, English and New Zealand Sign Language.

For those who want a real reo and NZSL challenge try learning the NZSL version of this beautiful waiata called Pepeha by Six60 sung by Nora Rose Kirikiri.

Karawhiua e hoa mā! Give it a go!

Lessons

Today is my last day at Ara, after 14 years here in the library. I’m going to miss everyone, but it’s time to try something new. As a parting gift, I thought I’d share my top tips, gleaned from all those years of questions:

  1. Don’t leave your assignment until the last minute. We can’t make the printers go any faster, and Murphy’s law suggests that THAT minute is when your laptop will refuse to connect to the wifi. Don’t do it, for our peace of mind as well as yours.
  2. There probably isn’t a perfect book or article that will give you all the information you need for your assignment, and trying to find it will just drive you (and us) mad. Find several, each one giving you part of the answer – combining information from several sources is a really useful skill.
  3. Read the APA referencing guide. All of it. Go to an APA workshop. Look at the other APA resources. Do it. Do it now.
  4. We – the library, Learning Services, Disability Services, other support services – are here to help. Seek help if you need it. Ask early. Don’t be scared – you are not alone.
  5. Check your student email.
  6. Return your library books on time.
  7. Depending on your area of study, Google may not be your friend. Try the library catalogue, library databases, or Google Scholar to find reliable information.
  8. Read. Anything, really, but especially academic sources: they’ll help you improve your own academic writing style.
  9. Don’t have your phone on speaker in the library. Ideally, don’t make phone calls in the library at all, but if you must, use headphones. (I can’t actually believe this is a thing…I must be getting old. We don’t need to hear even one side of your conversation with your doctor/lawyer/mother/BFF/ex, let alone both sides!)
  10. Have fun. Learn lots. Make friends.

And remember: Libraries (and librarians) are awesome.

May the 4th Be With You

Photo by Cade Roberts on Unsplash

May the Fourth, or Star Wars Day, is an event celebrated by fans of the iconic Star Wars franchise around the world. The date, May 4th, is a play on the famous Star Wars quote “May the Force be with you,” which has been adapted to “May the Fourth be with you.”

The origins of the holiday date back to 1979 when Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Her party placed a congratulatory ad in the London Evening News that read “May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations.” This sparked a wave of Star Wars fans adopting the phrase as a fun way to celebrate the franchise.

Since then, May the Fourth has become an official celebration of all things Star Wars, with fans dressing up as their favorite characters, hosting movie marathons, and attending Star Wars-themed events. Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are flooded with Star Wars posts and memes, and companies and organizations worldwide take advantage of the holiday by releasing special products and promotions.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a casual viewer, the event is a chance to indulge in your favorite Star Wars moments and share them with others. You can also read a couple of ebook titles in our Library on the theme.

Brode, D., & Deyneka, L. (2012). Myth, media, and culture in Star Wars an anthology. Scarecrow Press

Elovaara, M. (2013). Fan phenomena Star Wars. Intellect Inc

So, may the Force be with you on this special day, and may the Fourth be with you always!

Ōtākaro Orchard

By Nellie Dodds & Helen Purdon

Ōtākaro Orchard, courtesy of Ōtākaro Orchard. 2023.

Ōtākaro Orchard is a community garden in Christchurch’s city centre, run by volunteers and kaitiaki from the charitable organisation Edible Canterbury – providing organic, sustainable food for anyone who needs it. The organisation also runs workshops to promote food security and education.

It’s an exciting venture, that hopes to be able to soon include an Information Centre and Cafe.

The Information Centre is on the garden site where workshops are to be held, and will cover various topics.

Additionally, this building will have a “blue-green” roof with solar power, a self-watering system, and compost toilets! How awesome to see a very green development be built in our local community!

The cafe will open out onto the pedestrian-only walkway on Cambridge Terrace. Edible Canterbury aims for completion by the end of the year.

Search “Ōtākaro Orchard Final Phase” or “Ōtākaro Orchard” to find out more and get be involved in the project.

Roz Rolls, at the Ōtākaro Orchard. Courtesy of Ōtākaro Orchard.

Coronation of King Charles III

The Coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort takes place in May. A long weekend of celebrations and events are planned including the Coronation ceremony and procession, a celebratory concert and street parties across the United Kingdom.

King Charles III Coronation and procession

King Charles III is the head of state of New Zealand and is due to be officially crowned as the King this week. It has been over 70 years since the last coronation when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in June 1953.

Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953

The Coronation of King Charles III occurs on Saturday 6th May 2023 at Westminster Abbey, London. During the ceremony, the King will take the Coronation oath, receive the orb and sceptre with St Edward’s gold crown placed on his head. The Queen Consort will also be crowned Queen.

Official portrait of King Charles III

The Coronation will be followed by The King’s Procession with a larger Coronation Procession involving other members of the Royal Family afterwards. The day’s ceremonial events will conclude with the Royal Family standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Official King Charles III Coronation emblem

There is some New Zealand involvement in the Coronation with a contingent of Kiwi military personnel taking part in the Coronation Procession. We will also be represented by senior politicians, government officials and the Governor General who will be on their way to take part while you are reading this.